The Pride of an Uchiha
by FireWater0712
Summary: Team 7 has reunited once again. Sasuke is living freely in Konoha under special conditions & had married Sakura to revive the Uchiha clan. Would he learn to love her? How long can Sakura can keep up with him?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. It belongs rightfully to Masashi Kishimoto.

Author's Note: This is my first fan fiction on Naruto. Please read and review!

* * *

ooo

**The Pride of Uchiha**

Chapter I

At first, she thought that it was just stress and overwork that have affected her usual regular monthly period. It usually happen on anorexic or athletic women wherein too much dieting, exercise or work will lower the female hormones; thus affecting the normal ovulation.

For the past four weeks, she had been pretty busy, working double time as a _kunoichi_ doing missions, medic and research at the Konoha hospital and office works under the Godaime. She's not complaining about the workload, she loved being busy. However, the previous week she found herself complaining of nausea and vomiting, headache and fatigue. A female colleague joked that she might be pregnant but she just laughed it off. Dismissing it as usual symptoms of stress, she continued with her daily routines but the symptoms didn't subside and she decided to seek medical consultation.

"Come in." A business-like voice said from behind the door.

Sakura twisted the knob and entered. "_Ohayogozaimasu!_"

"Sakura-san!" The business-like voice a while ago changed upon seeing her. "Have a seat." The physician gestured to the two small chairs situated in front of her mahogany desk. "How's work?"

"Still have lots of research to do," replied Sakura. "How about you?"

"Same old me," the woman said. "By the way, what got you here? Don't tell me you're –"

"I don't really know. Just a presumption."

"Oh, I understand." The bespectacled woman adjusted her glasses. "Since you're on the early stage, a serum lab test would confirm it. It would detect the presence of a hormone usually present among pregnant women."

Sakura nodded knowing this information already having read it beforehand. But it didn't stop making her nervous.

"Before we begin the test, I need you to complete this form." She handed her a piece of paper. "I'll be returning after twenty minutes."

Uchiha Sakura, Female, 21 years old.

A small smile stretched across her face as she paused to look at the name she had written on the paper.

It had been almost a month since she got married to her long-time childhood love, teammate and friend, Uchiha Sasuke. Their wedding was a very private one with less than twenty people invited. Naruto was his best man and Ino was her maid of honor. Kakashi-sensei and Tsunade were the principal godparents.

She thought that he had died with his battle against Naruto. They were fifteen then and he was planning to launch an all-out attack to Konoha. They tried to stop him and persuaded him to go back to Konoha but he was so narrow-minded then and focused on his goal on destroying Konoha that he didn't listen to them. He had even sided with Uchiha Madara and Zetsu.

It was foolish of her in attempting to kill him. She just can't bring herself to do it and furthermore, he was too powerful for her. He had nearly killed her then when she attempted to kill him with a poisoned kunai.

Twice.

If not for the timely arrival Kakashi and Naruto, she would've died on his hands.

She had lost her hope on him but it was Naruto who helped her cling to the last flicker of hope. For that, she would always be grateful to Naruto.

After his battle with Naruto, he was brought back to Konoha and was incarcerated. He was almost to the brink of death by that time, badly hurt and depleted of chakra. He was placed in the deepest cells of Konoha with the highest level of security possible. Chakra-binding shackles were placed both on his hands and feet and three highly skilled Anbus were watching him every shift.

He was brought to trial and was originally sentenced to execution but due to Naruto, Kakashi and her appeals it was reduced to a life sentence.

"Sakura-san, are you finished?"

"Yeah, I'm done." Sakura handed the biographical data sheet to the older medic. She was handed with another one.

"Consent form for the test," the OB medic supplied.

"Alright," Sakura signed the paper and gave it to her.

The OB medic slid the stethoscope into her ears and took out a blood pressure cuff and thermometer.

Sakura presented her arm for the routine baseline readings.

"All vital signs within normal limits," the medic removed the stethoscope and brought out a syringe and vial. "I will be drawing a 5-ml blood from you and it will be sent to the laboratory for analysis."

Knowing what to do, Sakura presented her other arm and made a fist. The medic placed a tourniquet a few inches above her brachial area and palpated for a vein. Being thin, it was easy to locate a vein on her arm. The needle of the syringe was inserted and dark red blood easily poured out to the barrel of the syringe. The blood was injected into an airtight vial and labelled. "You might have to wait for an hour or so for the results."

"Thank you," said Sakura.

All she has to do now is to wait.

oOo

* * *

"You're dismissed." The Godaime waved off her hand nonchalantly after hearing the reports of the three Anbu on their mission. She was really itching to go home and start gulping her favourite sake.

The two dark-haired Anbus nodded respectfully. The first one, pale-faced with a plastered smile on his face while the other, dead serious.

"Thanks, Granny!" Naruto stretched his arms and grinned.

Tsunade was used to Naruto calling him that name that she grew tired of correcting the blonde. _Disrespectful brat_, she thought with a chuckle.

"Fine," she grunted. "You can leave."

They left the room immediately and someone among them (undoubtedly, Naruto) was happily bouncing on his steps.

How he reminded her of her little brother, she thought sadly.

Naruto was the very same Naruto she had first met many years ago. He had the same bright smile and stubborn determination especially when it comes to Konoha and his friends. His painful experiences did not mar his personality.

The boy had done so much for the ninja world.

Jiraiya had done Naruto a great deal training that the boy had surpassed his mentor. That perverted sannin, she thought with a smile as she remembered what he last said to her before he left to investigate on Rain country. Sadly, he was not able to witness how much his last student had accomplished or will be _accomplishing _soon.

She looked through her open window and gazed at the Konoha mountains where the five faces of the previous Hokages up to the present were carved. In a few years, a new one will be carved out of it.

oOo

* * *

"Anyone up for a ramen?" Naruto's stomach just grumbled. The image of a hot, steaming bowl of ramen came to mind.

"Sure," Sai agreed.

"How about you, Teme?" Naruto turned to the other dark-haired guy who, in contrast Sai's forever smiling face, had a stoic and expressionless features.

"Hn," grunted Sasuke disinterestedly.

Naruto took it as an affirmation. "Great!" Then, another idea occurred to him. "Hey, why don't we invite Sakura to join us? The hospital is just a few meters away."

"She's busy," Sasuke said.

"But we haven't seen her since our mission! She should have been with our team if not for that stupid research thing Granny Tsunade assigned her to do," said Naruto with a slight annoyed look. Now that Team 7 is complete, he wanted them to be always together.

"It's not as if you're not going to see her here in Konoha," countered Sasuke. The team had just lunch together with her before the three of them embarked on a three-day mission.

"I don't care," said Naruto stubbornly. Even if Sasuke was quite right, he refused to give in to his rationale. "How about you, Sai?"

"It's okay with me," replied Sai.

"Ha! That two out of three, Teme!" Naruto exclaimed triumphantly. "We're going to fetch Sakura!"

"Hn," grunted Sasuke. Outnumbered, he just decided that it would be pointless to argue with the obstinate blonde over such a trivial matter.

Soon enough, they spotted the white building of Konoha hospital. Naruto picked up his pace and entered, greeting everyone he sees.

"Uzumaki Naruto!" The young woman on the information desk greeted the blonde.

"Where's Sakura-chan's office?" Naruto asked the woman.

The woman frowned. "It's at the fifth room on the fourth floor but I don't think you'll see her there. She left early this afternoon. Guess she's not feeling well, she looked a bit pale."

Naruto's face fell at little at this information. "Eh? I see. _Arigatou_."

"You're welcome! Say hi to Hinata-san from me," the young woman said before turning to another visitor.

"Sure!" Naruto grinned as they left.

"Poor Sakura-chan! I thought we all could have lunch together and Hinata was still on a mission," Naruto said gloomily as they walked when an idea popped into his mind. "Wait, why don't we visit her? Then, since Sakura is not feeling well, Teme would be the one to cook and prepare dinner for us!"

Sasuke turned to Naruto." And what made you think I will let you inside my house?" He will prepare dinner for them? That's ridiculous. Last time Naruto went to their house, he had conveniently emptied the refrigerator before deciding to go home.

Naruto scowled at him. "Even if you won't let us, I'm sure Sakura would!"

"No, she would not," countered Sasuke.

Sai watched the two and can't help but get confused how they managed to be friends in the first place when they always bicker against each other. _Perhaps, people have to do that in order to make friends_, he mentally noted in his head.

"We'll know when we get there," said Naruto with a grin. He casted Sai a look that said "Follow me", then he made a quick series of seals and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"Dobe," Sai heard Sasuke muttered annoyingly before disappearing too.

Well, he guessed that he just have to follow them too.

oOo

* * *

Sakura had just finished cooking a special dinner when she felt a familiar chakra signature outside the house.

"Naruto!" She exclaimed surprisingly. "What brings you here?" She had barely finished her question when another presence arrived followed by another one. "Sasuke! Sai!"

"Sakura!" Naruto's loud voice startled her. "We heard from the hospital that you're sick!" He grabbed her shoulders and inspected her. "You looked quite pale and fatigued."

"Hag, you look ugly," commented Sai.

"Sai, keep calling me that and we'll see who will end up ugly." Sakura smiled at him and showed him her clenched fist. How he dared calling her hag and ugly in front of her husband? She caught Sasuke smirking at her.

Sai made no remark and just smiled at her.

"We miss you Sakura-chan!" Naruto engulfed her in a bone-crushing hug. "Could you please let go of that research thing so you can join our group again?"

Sakura's face softened. "How I wish, Naruto. But Tsunade entrusted me that work to finish."

"But it's making you ill!"

"It's not really tiring, I'm just cooped up inside a room all day," she replied, touched at his concern. She looked at Sasuke for any reaction, their gazes met but his face remained impassive.

Sakura was like a sister to Naruto as much as Sasuke is a brother to him. He turned to ask Sasuke who hadn't said anything considering that Sakura is sick. He caught the two looking at each other but they instantly looked away when he caught them.

"Ah, I knew it!" A knowing smile spread across his face as he deduced something. "Teme's not 'tiring you every night', does he?"

"W-what?" Sakura spluttered who went even paler.

"Sasuke wants to revive his clan, right? Or don't tell me after all these weeks you haven't done 'it' yet?" He asked further with an innocent curious look.

Sakura started to feel her cheeks redden, not knowing how to answer properly such a ridiculous question without embarrassing herself. Naruto looked plain curious but his training with the legendary but pervert sannin, Jiraiya must have imparted him some of his sensei's perverted thoughts.

"That's none of your business, Dobe," Sasuke said in a cool, casual voice. He seemed unaffected by the question unlike Sakura who was at a loss for words and obviously embarrassed.

"Fine," snorted Naruto.

Relieved that Sasuke interjected and Naruto dropped the awkward subject, Sakura decided that since they're all here she should invite them inside. "Want to have some tea inside?"

"Sure!" Without waiting for Sakura to usher them inside, Naruto voluntarily entered the house, removed his shoes and went straight to the dining room.

The three followed and entered the house revealing a fairly spacious receiving room. In the center, a huge portrait of Team 7 hung on the oak-paneled wall.

"That's my work," said Sai in a surprised voice and he looked at the painting. Two years ago, Sakura asked him to paint the picture of Team 7 which have been taken when she, Naruto and Sasuke were still a genin together with Kakashi.

"Yeah," said Sakura as she also looked at the painting. "Thanks again," she grinned at him.

"Welcome, hag." It was just a simple request by the hag but he never knew that she would have it framed and displayed openly on their house. An odd sensation surge through him, something that could be described as light and floating, which he doesn't know how to name yet. For the first time, his work was appreciated as an art not just as a jutsu weapon.

Sakura rolled her eyes and decided to ignore Sai's calling her "hag" again. "Come on, food is waiting to be served."

Sasuke and Sai sat on the tatami mat around the low, wooden rectangular table while Sakura prepared to set the foods. Clearly hungry, Naruto's stomach grumbled as she started placing the cuisine on the table.

Sitting beside her husband, Sakura can't help but wince as she watched Naruto attacked every dish she had painstakingly cooked and prepared for Sasuke. From the corner of her eyes, she stole a glance at him. Had he noticed that she cooked all his favourites tonight? From her observation for the past few years, she had noticed that he took a particular liking to _omusubi_ with _okaka_ and tomatoes. She doesn't know what foods he disliked yet. Since the marriage, she had practiced cooking, hoping that she would get to please him and fulfill her role as an "ideal wife".

Yet, in their almost one month of living together, he had never criticized nor praised her cooking. He just ate whatever she served on the table.

"Sasuke?" She called him in a low tone.

"Hn?" Sasuke responded, shoving a slice of tomato in his mouth.

"What can you say about the foods?" She asked quite nervously. "I mean, do you like it or-"

"It's fine," replied Sasuke cutting her words.

_It's fine_, Sakura repeated the two words inside her mind. It was such a vague answer that she doesn't know whether the foods she had served were good or just passable.

"_Kampai!_" Naruto raised his cup of tea, motioning for others to follow.

"_Kampai!_" Sakura and Sai followed while Sasuke merely raised his cup.

Afterwards, Naruto slumped to the floor and gave out a loud, disgusting burp.

"Gross, Naruto!" Sakura shrieked with a revolted look.

"Ever heard of table manners, Dobe?" Sasuke asked in a cool, mocking voice.

"Manners! Manners!" Naruto raised his arms. "You can't eat your manners!"

Sai turned to the blonde. "You reminded me of a..." He searched for the right words to describe what he wanted to say. "-Regurgitating toilet bowl."

"Eeew, that's a pretty gross comparison, Sai," said Sakura whose image of a regurgitating toilet bowl can't seem to get off her mind.

Sasuke just smirked at it.

"Hey!" Naruto suddenly jerked up to a sitting position and glared at Sai. "Who are you calling toilet bowl?"

Maintaining an innocent smiling face, Sai just answered the obvious. "It's you, Naruto."

"How dare you call me that you pale-faced, skinny-" Naruto did not finish his sentence and lunged for the ink artist. But Sai had already anticipated and easily evaded it. Sasuke and Sakura leapt apart just in time, avoiding Naruto's heavy landing. Unfortunately, it was not the same for the dining table which upturned, shattering some of the bowls and glasses, making Sakura scowl.

"Look what have you done, the two of you!" She shrieked out, chasing after the two.

"Hey, it's not only me; Sai is also the one to blame for!" Naruto said. "Come back here!" He called out to Sai.

But Sai was already on their gates, ready to leave. "It was Naruto who did it," he explained innocently to Sakura, then placed his plastered smile and leapt to a neighbour's roof.

"It's your fault!" Naruto had finished strapping his sandals and was ready to go after Sai when he paused for a few seconds. "Don't worry, Sakura, we'll...uhmm...replace the broken ones."

Sakura just raised her brow disbelievingly.

"Really!" Naruto said, raising his right hand as a sign of promise. "Anyway, get well soon and," he jumped to the neighbour's roof. "Don't let Teme exhaust you every night!" He said this sentence quite loud enough for their neighbours to hear. "Till next time!"

"There will be no next time," said Sasuke standing on the doorway. He looked at the mess the two had left behind. Broken chinaware, stained tatami mat and an upturned table; he was right from the start about not having their dinner at the house. They should have jus eaten at the Ichiraku Ramen. Naruto was simply a disaster magnet. How he managed to be a powerful shinobi, Sasuke never knew.

Sakura turned the table and placed it in its original position. She swept up the shattered pieces of chinaware and dumped it on the waste bag. Next, she inspected the tatami mat and couldn't help but scowl. It was stained and minute shards of broken china were embedded between the fibers. It's either she would have to remove it one by one or just buy a new one. To her surprise, Sasuke took the rolled tatami mat away from her, noting how pale and thin she really looked. "They said you're sick."

Sakura looked at him, clearly surprised that he asked about her health when she had thought earlier that he was not a bit concerned about her. However, inspecting his face, she didn't find any guise of worry. He was just cool and casual like always. Is he really concerned with her or he was just doing this because she married him and he _have_ to?

"Not really," she replied. "Thanks."

Sasuke just nodded and when he was about to leave outside to throw the damaged table mat, Sakura called him.

"Sasuke!" She called out, her voice betraying an air of uncertainty.

"Yes?" Sasuke paused at the door waiting what she is going to say.

She should break the good news to him now. After all, she had not prepared his favourite foods for this special night for nothing. He would be happy for sure.

It's what he wanted, right?

"Someone is going to join us soon," said Sakura smiling to herself, thinking that it would be nice to break the news indirectly.

"Who?" Sasuke asked thinking that it could either be one of her parents since she doesn't have any siblings. It could be one of her parents. If one of her parents is going to arrive, he would have to provide him or her decent room to stay. Then, he must buy a bigger house since they were living in a one-room apartment. That means that they have to move into another house again. He wouldn't have this lodging problem had Sakura agreed to live at the Uchiha grounds. Being the sole survivor of the Uchiha massacre, all of the properties of their clan were already given to him before he reached twelve years of age.

What he can't understand was why was Sakura would rather live in a small apartment when she could have a bigger house. She reasoned out to him that the Uchiha mansions were far too big for the two of them. That reason was too shallow for him to accept but she was really adamant and opposed to the idea of living there that he conceded to her wish. He has a feeling that there's a deeper explanation behind her opposition to the idea of living there and he would pull it out of her in the right time. "Is it your father or mother?"

"No," she replied. "Don't worry, the arrival would still be after eight months." Sakura can't help but smile at the perplexed look on Sasuke's face. "And I might forget to add that the length of stay is quite long."

If it's not her parents, then maybe a relative or a friend would be. The arrival would still be in eight months giving them enough time to purchase and move into a new place. But what caught his interest was that this visitor's stay with them would be indefinite. "What do you mean the 'length of stay' is quite long, like six months?"

Sakura bit her lower lip to prevent herself from smiling. "No, it's going to be longer than that. Years maybe."

"Years," Sasuke was starting to get annoyed now. Years? Just who is this stranger who's going to live with them? Months, he could accept but years? He valued his privacy and he doesn't like strangers meddling with him least interact with them. "Just who the hell is this?"

Sakura was smiling at him like she was enjoying herself, much to Sasuke's irritation. It was like she was taking pleasure in watching him lose his composure. "I don't know yet who it is."

"What? You don't even know who this person is?" Sasuke was staring at her. She wanted him to accept a total stranger to live in their house? "Do you have any idea who could it be, a man or woman?"

"No," answered Sakura smiling at him. "Maybe when he or she comes, we will know."

Sasuke took note of the smile forming on her face. It's as if she knew something that he doesn't know and it annoyed him.

"What?" He was losing his patience at this silly game of hers. He could feel that she wanted to say something to him but was just beating around the bush.

To Sasuke's confusion, she didn't answer his question and pointed to her abdomen.

Sakura let out a small laugh as she looked at her husband's befuddled expression. Deciding to end this guessing game, Sakura gently took his hand and placed it on her stomach.

Sasuke frowned, not understanding why she did that and look at his hand.

Then, it clicked to him.

Comprehension dawned upon him as he understood what she wanted to say.

"You're-"

"Yes," said Sakura giving a soft smile as she gaze at his stunned features. "Congratulations, you're going to be a father soon, Sasuke."

For a few precious seconds, she saw him smile. It was only small as his lips curved upwards but she could see in his eyes that he seemed to regain again the innocence and humanity he had nearly lost. He was like a young child who had opened a surprise gift.

It was beautiful.

oOo

* * *

Author's Note: You might have many questions about how Sasuke ended up with Sakura but it will be answered in the succeeding chapters.

**Reviews please!**

**Suggestions and criticisms are welcome!**


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: Sorry if it took so long for me to update the next chapter. I had sore eyes last week haha. Thanks for the reviews on the first chapter.

oOo

* * *

**Chapter II**

"Seriously?" Naruto's blue eyes went round as saucers, his chopsticks frozen momentarily in mid-air as he digested the news Sakura had just told him.

"Do I look like I'm joking?" Sakura asked with her arms crossed over her chest, a tiny smile playing on her lips.

"I just can't believe it!" Naruto exclaimed and pulled her to bone-crushing hug. "Wow! I'm very happy for you!"

"Thank you, Naruto," said Sakura, hugging Naruto back and extricating herself. Next to her parents, Naruto was one of the few persons to whom she wanted to share the good news. If not for him, Sasuke wouldn't be back in Konoha and there would not be a new life growing inside her.

Kakashi's visible eye crinkled as he gazed at his former students. It was just like yesterday when they have to pass his bell test; now, here they are all grown-up exceptional shinobis who are making names for themselves. A surge of fatherly pride emanated from his chest at these thoughts.

"Ah. I feel old now," he chucked ruffling his thick, white hair and continued reading a small book he always bring along.

Sakura laughed at him. "But never too old for porn books, Kakashi-sensei?"

"Nah," disagreed Kakashi with a dismissive wave of hand. "It's not porn. It's art."

"Art? I can't see anything artistic in there," said Sakura with a frown.

"Have you read it already?"

"Not yet but-"

"See," smiled Kakashi. "Don't judge a book by its cover."

"Right," snorted Sakura sarcastically. The book cover itself is laughable. It shows a man happily chasing a sexy woman in red who seemed to be enjoying the man's pursuit.

"You know what," started Naruto. "Kakashi have a complete collection of _Icha Icha Paradise_ books and movies inside his room."

"_Nani?_" Sakura's green eyes went wide. "Well, as expected from the late Jiraiya's number one fan." Ever since they met Kakashi, he always had an _Icha Icha Paradise_ book on his hands to read on free time. She could still remember the time when they were spying on him, trying to find out what he looks like under that mask of his, he was looking at the next issue of the _Icha Icha_ series, a longing expression evident on his features.

Unfortunately, the author of the book had already passed away. Jiraiya, one of the three legendary sannins, died at the Rain Village during a reconnaissance mission to get information about its leader, Pein.

"I've read one when I was trying with the old hermit," recounted Naruto remembering the three years he had spent training under Jiraiya. "It was boring."

"Boring?" Kakashi's voiced out hoarsely. He thought it was the best book ever written. It's just unfortunate that there would no more sequels. "You're too young to appreciate it then."

He turned to the two males. "Try reading some and I'm sure you'll enjoy it, Naruto, Sasuke. However, I won't let you borrow mine. Mine is a collector's edition. You should buy it."

"I would rather spent my money on ramen," said Naruto. He hated reading books. Any kind of book.

"No," replied Sasuke quietly. While they were all fussing about the book, he, on the other hand, had absolutely no idea what it is all about considering his long absence at the village. Based from Sakura had said, it is well…a porn book and it seemed to him that the book series was pretty popular among the adult population of Konoha especially the males.

"Are you sure, Naruto, Sasuke?" Kakashi asked his visible eye lit up with amusement. "It could be pretty useful for you."

"And what 'use' would it be, Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura's eyes flashed dangerously as she snatched the book away from her sensei and jumped away a meter away from them. She was already having difficulty with Sasuke's fan girls and now Kakashi would give him a book so Sasuke could be like the pervert guy on the book cover?

"I mean, Sasuke could use it to…ah," Kakashi scrambled for a good lie. He was pretty sure that even if he used some techniques, he would not get the book easily from her. Moreover, if she gets threatened or angered, she could easily crush his precious book with her inhuman strength and that's not what he wanted to happen. "I mean Sasuke could use it so you two could make more Uchiha babies in the future."

Naruto guffawed in laughter, the ramen he was eating spewed out from his mouth. Meanwhile, Sasuke was momentarily stunned but continued eating his food in silence as if he heard nothing.

"W-what?" Sakura spluttered who felt her cheeks redden with a mixture of embarrassment and fury. _"Males!"_ she thought angrily, clenching the book hard on her hand. More Uchiha babies in the future? What was she like to them, a Sharingan baby-making machine?

"Eh, Sakura, you're crushing my book," said Kakashi worryingly. What's wrong with what he said? He thought that she would love to have more children now that she was married and pregnant with her the man she had loved ever since they were young. He turned to Naruto and Sasuke for help.

The blonde just snickered, clearly enjoying the scene, wondering how their sensei would handle the situation.

Sasuke was enjoying the scene too, although he may not show it. He watched how her face changed from a light to a deep shade of pink that made her hair color pale in contrast to her skin color.

"Even if Kakashi give it to me, I would have no use it," he said. Whatever kind of book it is, he would rather study scrolls containing special jutsus than waste his time reading a senseless book.

"Here," said Sakura as she returned the book to Kakashi, slamming the _Icha Icha_ book into the table. She threw the book a disgusted look before leaving. "I'm going to the hospital."

Kakashi immediately took the book and inspected it for damages. "What happened to her? She was happy a while ago then she went ballistic on me."

"She's pretty scary when her anger gets out of hand," said Naruto. It was based on experience. He had enough experience receiving her punches when her fury gets out of control that he had learned how to detect subtle signs of her escalating anger.

This made him wonder on what would be the gender of the baby. If it's going to be a boy, he was sure that he would be like Sasuke, quiet, no fun and always sulking in a corner. He imagined little Sharingan-wielding Sasukes in his mind.

_Scary_, he thought with a shudder. He had had enough experience with Sharingan-users like Sasuke and Madara; he just hope that the future Uchiha children would be good little ones unlike its predecessors.

On the other hand, if it's going to be a girl, then she would be pretty like Sakura. _Maybe temperamental too_, he added. A mini-Sakura punching little holes on the ground came to mind.

He scratched his head. It seemed that whatever the gender of the child, be it a boy or a girl, the child would be special considering the parents.

"Hey, Teme, just a thought. How would you like to have a son with pink hair?"

oOo

* * *

"Sakura-san! We have an emergency!"

Sakura just arrived at the Konoha hospital when a young, trainee medic came rushing towards her.

"What case?" Sakura asked, immediately downing her white gown.

"Lacerations and some internal injuries," started Raika as she read from her clipboard. "We have taken care of the wound but we're having problems with his internal injuries."

"History?" Sakura asked, hurriedly walking towards the operating room.

"Patient is Hideki Takamura, 25, Konoha citizen. And my goodness, he's the only son of a _daimyo_!" Raika recited worrying. She pushed open the doors to the operating room revealing a young man, auburn-haired, lean body type and semi-conscious.

Daimyos are the influential landlords of Konoha. They own vast parcels of lands and are responsible for maintaining the healthy economic activity in the country. The man's father had just barged inside the hospital a while ago and demanded them to heal him. He had already filed a complaint and demanded to the Hokage that they find the man who ordered the assassination as soon as possible or he would persuade his fellow daimyos to sell their shares of land to foreigners outside Konoha.

"I need his history," repeated Sakura inspecting the man's body. She don't give a damn whether he's the son of _daimyo_ or not, they treat all patients here with fairness and respect.

"Gomen," apologized the trainee medic. "He was on a business trade with a certain citizen of the Mist Village held outside Konoha. Reports from the hotel inn that business talks have gone awry. He was ambushed on his way back to the village. His escort bodyguard was killed."

"How did he escape?" Sakura scanned the man's body using her chakra-glowing hand. The wounds have already been taken care of but the man looked pale and felt cool to touch.

"Aburame Shino's group were on their way back from a mission when on of his er…bugs sensed the enemies. Two of the assassins were killed, one escaped."

Sakura nodded at the information. The man was lucky that Shino' group arrived or he would died outside and rotten before he could be found. "Vital signs?"

"Pulse 124, respiratory 38, blood pressure 80 over 60," Raika recited. "He's going into a circulatory shock. We've tried to heal him but he keeps haemorrhaging inside!"

Sakura's eyebrows knitted in determination. "Any history of severe hemorrhage before?"

"None so far from what I gathered from him and his family."

Sakura continued to work in silence, giving instructions from time to time. Then, after half an hour, small smile appeared on her lips.

"Sakura-san?"

Sakura wiped the sweat on her forehead and gave a weary smile. "The enemies used poisoned weapons to ensure that even if they didn't get to kill him on spot, he would die in the next few hours."

"Poisoned?" The young trainee medic's black eyes lit up in awe at her senpais quick diagnosis. She was really fit to be called the next Tsunade.

"Stabilize his condition as much as you can. I can work an anti-dote in an hour," instructed Sakura before leaving the room, carrying a small vial of the patient's blood.

oOo

* * *

"Good morning," greeted Sakura.

The patient stirred and opened his eyes, unfocused for a bit then gazed at her confusingly.

She smiled at him. "I'm Uchiha Sakura, your medic here at Konoha hospital. You have been unconscious for two days. Do you remember what happened to you?"

Hideki blinked as his eyes focused at the female medic hovering above him. She had bright, green eyes and pink hair. Medic? She looked younger than him. Events flashed before him as he recounted what happened to him. "I met up with a trader from Mist Village outside Konoha. It didn't go well. The next day, when I was going back here with my bodyguard, we were attacked by three shinobis."

Sakura nodded, giving him a glass of water. "You were badly injured. Furthermore, the weapons they used upon you were poisoned. Whoever who ordered the assassination really wanted you dead."

"Was he captured already? I mean, I'm rather sure that it was that guy from the Mist Village." The man clenched his fist in anger.

"Not yet but the Konoha shinobis are doing there best to apprehend the man behind it."

He heaved a sigh and looked at her. "Thank you for saving my life."

"You should thank Aburame Shino's group. If not for them, you would have died there," said Sakura. Now that the guy was awake, she noticed that he was pleasant-looking with those nice dark brown eyes. And with the way he spoke to her, it gave her the impression that he was raised to be a gentleman. "By the way, I'm here to do some final assessment on you to know if you're ready to be discharged."

"Okay," he nodded for her to start the assessment.

Sakura slid her gloves and ran her chakra-glowing hand to his affected body parts.

"May I ask something?"

"Go on," said Sakura, focusing on her assessment.

"How old are you?"

"Twenty-one. Why?"

Hideki's eyebrows shot in surprise. "You're young to be a full-time medic."

"Don't worry. I assure you I am not incompetent," smiled Sakura. She had finished her assessment already.

"Don't get me wrong, I do not doubt your skills. I mean you're impressive." And pretty too, he wanted to add.

"Thank you," smiled Sakura at the compliment. "All systems are functioning properly. You can go home within this day."

"That's good." He stretched his arms and stood up rather shakily.

"You have just recuperated. It's normal," Sakura reassured.

She was about to leave when he called her name.

"Sakura-san?"

"Yes?" Sakura asked her hand pausing on the doorknob.

"Are you free tomorrow night?"

Sakura gasped in surprise, letting go of the doorknob and turning around to look at him. "Are you trying to ask me out on a date?"

"Yeah," he answered walking towards her. That's when he noticed something glinting on her right hand and he paled. "You're -"

"Yes," answered Sakura showing him her gold wedding ring on her middle finger. "I'm already married."

He couldn't believe it. She was really pretty and he liked her the moment he saw her. He was hoping that maybe they could go out on dates and get to know each other better. The fact that she's already married seemed to be too heavy for him to acknowledge. "May I know who the lucky guy is?"

Sakura felt sorry for him. "Uchiha Sasuke."

Uchiha Sasuke. The name is quite familiar to him and his eyes frowned as he realized who it is. "Uchiha Sasuke, the S-class missing nin and survivor of the Uchiha massacre?" His father, being an influential landlord, have access and connection to some information ordinary citizens don't have. Based from what he knew about the Uchiha, he was a survivor of the Uchiha massacre which happened more than a decade ago then he became an S-class missing nin and was said to kill Danzou, one of Konoha's elder council and attacked the village. He was imprisoned in Konoha but was freed after less than a year.

Sakura smiling face was now gone. "Former missing-nin. He was already pardoned by the Godaime several years ago because he helped in defending the village against Madara, if you happen to remember that incident where bijuus were released upon our village."

Madara had freed Sasuke from the cells of Konoha, thinking that he would aid him in destroying Konoha and capturing the last jinchuuriki. At first, Sasuke had helped him in controlling the bijuus as the monsters wreaked havoc within the community. Madara fought Naruto and left the ordeal of destroying Konoha to Sasuke's hands.

For unknown reasons up to now, Sasuke suddenly changed his mind and began to attack Madara too. While she and the rest of Konoha's shinobis were defending the village against the bijous, he and Naruto were fighting Madara.

"I apologize, Sakura-san." Hideki stepped towards her and offered his hand for apology. "I did not mean to insult you or your spouse."

Sakura did not take his offered hand. 'Apology accepted but I would appreciate if you would learn to correct that misinformation."

With those last words, she bowed and left his room.

oOo

* * *

Lying on the bed for hours, Sakura changed her position again. She really can't sleep tonight. She glanced at the clock near her.

1:15 a.m.

She really couldn't take it anymore, she has to have it.

Glancing at her right side, Sakura made sure that Sasuke remained asleep. She crept up outside the bed covers and tiptoed silently towards the door. She slid it open slowly and headed straight for the kitchen.

Once in the kitchen, she immediately opened the refrigerator and started taking out boxes and laid it on the table. Next, she took an empty bowl and began putting every kind of food from each laid boxes.

"Sakura."

"Sasuke?" Sakura nearly dropped her chopsticks. She did not feel his presence at all. Was she too focused on her food that she did not get to notice his presence? "Why are you awake?'

"I should be asking you that question," said Sasuke as he poured himself some tea and sat near her. He looked at the array of foods on the table.

"I got hungry," said Sakura defensively commencing her food slowly. She doesn't want Sasuke to see her eat like a pig.

Sasuke looked at the foods she had laid on the table. She was planning to eat all of those? What piqued his interest was the bowl on her hand. It consisted of a mixture of prawns, lettuce, natto, tomatoes and a mixture of sauces he could no longer identify. "What is that?"

"Oh, this?" Sakura pointed to her bowl and when Sasuke inclined his head, she replied. "I don't really know. I was just experimenting but it really tastes good. Here, try some." Sakura picked a piece of prawn and shoved it near his mouth.

"Thank you but I'm not hungry," Sasuke declined waving the food away.

Sakura shrugged and just ate the prawn, savouring the taste on her mouth.

Sasuke drank his tea and moved a little away from her. He had barely managed to keep his face impassive a while ago when she shoved the prawn right under his nose.

It was repulsive.

He had never smelled anything like it before. He wondered how she can eat such thing when maybe even a stray dog would refuse to.

They continued to eat in comfortable silence with Sakura making a few savouring remarks now and then. When she was finished, Sakura uttered a dejected sigh.

Sasuke looked at her. "You're still hungry?" She had already eaten a lot and he had never seen her eat that amount of food before. It's as if she was fast becoming a female Naruto.

"No," she replied with a puckered brow. "I just want to eat more prawns." But there were no more prawns left on the table.

Then, a thought occurred to her. She rushed to the bedroom and came out wearing a sweater and carrying a small purse.

Sasuke caught her arm and asked. "Where are you going?"

"To the market," she replied freeing her self and walking towards the door. "I'm going to buy some food."

"Don't you know what time it is?" Sasuke asked. "It's too early and dark outside. The market won't open until the sun rises."

"I know," said Sakura impatiently as she started unlocking the bolts on the door. "I'm going to wait until they open so I'll be their first customer."

"That's ridiculous," snapped Sasuke blocking the door. What's with her sudden prawn-eating frenzy? It was too dark and cold outside; she might catch a cold that might affect the physical condition of the child inside her. He pointed to the unopened food boxes on the table. "You can eat those."

"No, I want what I ate earlier," replied Sakura stubbornly.

Sasuke's onyx eyes narrowed at her obstinate answer. "Go back to sleep."

"No," replied Sakura not budging an inch.

"You can buy what you want this morning," he suggested trying to maintain his calm.

"I need it now," said Sakura exasperatedly. He won't understand her.

"No," he said in a voice full of authority. "You're endangering the health of the child."

It took a few minutes before she replied and when she did, it was a cold voice. "Fine."

Sakura turned around and marched to the bedroom, every step heavy.

It's always for the child's welfare, not hers. She understands that it was quite irresponsible of her to get out when it's cold. She was pregnant and she has to ensure the health of the child inside her.

Still, she wondered if she made the right decision marrying him. What happened a month ago seemed too fast and surreal for her that she just agreed to marry him right then and there. She agreed to marry him because she love him although she knew deep inside her heart that he did not share the same feelings. He asked her hand for marriage so he could revive the Uchiha clan officially and properly.

She was hoping that marriage would be one step closer to his heart and someday, he would learn to love her not just because he needed her to revive his clan but because of who she is to him.

"Sakura."

No response.

Sasuke inwardly sighed. He knew that she had not slept yet. Even with her back turned against him, he knows that she is still awake. Her shoulders were shaking and no matter how much she tried to keep it from him, he could hear tiny sobs coming from her.

He had seen her cry several times when they were young and he often gets annoyed with it. For him, it was a sign of weakness that a shinobi must learn how to control. But he was no exception to it either. He had cried twice in his life. The first one, during the night of the Uchiha massacre when he was eight years old. The second one, when he was fifteen years old, after he learnt of the selfless sacrifice of his older brother, Itachi, for him.

This is a different one, however.

Sakura was crying over a trivial matter.

He could not believe it.

It was absurd.

She was crying because she can't eat prawns.

oOo

* * *

Sakura woke up and rubbed her eyes. She looked at the clock. It was already 8 in the morning. She woke up an hour late from her usual time. As usual, Sasuke had already woken up earlier than her. When she gets to be the first one to wake up, she would prepare their breakfast. Sometimes, he prepares it when she wakes up late.

She washed her face and showered, preparing for her hospital work. Looking at the mirror, she patted her face.

Her eyes looked awful. It was all puffy and red from the endless crying earlier this morning.

She went to the kitchen and found a note taped on the refrigerator. It was from Sasuke. It said that he left early for a mission brief with the Godaime together with other Anbus.

Crumpling the paper, she sat to eat when she noticed something different from the usual breakfast he prepares. She blinked her eyes and rubbed it. She must have been hallucinating.

Right in front of her was a large box of freshly-cooked prawns. She picked one and chewed it slowly as if to make sure that what she sees and tastes is for real.

She smiled.

She was wrong about him.

He may not love her yet but he cares for her, that she is sure.

oOo

* * *

Author's Note: I'll try to update the next chapter as soon as possible within this week.

**PLEASE REVIEW!**** Comments, suggestions and criticisms are welcomed!**


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Sorry if it took me long to update! I was pretty busy with some things.

Read and enjoy!

oOo

* * *

**Chapter III**

"The assassin was found dead outside Kirigakure," said Aburame Shino, who stood alone inside the Hokage's office giving his report for the mission he was assigned three days ago.

"Dead," Tsunade repeated to herself, her mouth forming a thin line at the news. "Have you confirmed the identity?"

"Yes, I am positive that it is him. He had the same scent when we first encountered their group. My bugs have left a distinctive scent upon him and I was able to track him down using that scent which can be only be detected by the bugs of same the same specie."

Tsunade nodded at his explanation. "In what state did you find him in?"

"His body was mangled. It looked like he was killed using a large bladed weapon," said Shino. "It seemed to me that the person behind the assassination wanted the latter dead to avoid further complications."

"I see," said Tsunade, her face set in a serious expression. "You're free to go. Please look for Shikamaru and send him to my office immediately."

Aburame Shino nodded, placed his animal-painted mask back on his face and left the Hokage's office.

After the bug user has left, Tsunade opened the hidden drawer underneath her desk table and took out a bottle of her favourite sake. She poured some on a small cup and gulped it at once. Not contented, she set aside the cup and drank from the bottle straight. It was already half empty when she heard a series of knocks from her door.

She immediately hid her bottle sake back to its original location.

"Later," she murmured to herself. The alcoholic beverage is the only thing that calms her nerves when she's stressed out and tensioned from all the Hokage duties she has been doing for the past nine years.

"Come in."

A tall, lazy-looking Nara Shikamaru entered the room. "You sent for me, Hokage?"

"Yes," said Tsunade. "We need to discuss Takamura's case."

"Yeah, I heard his father went ballistic on you," commented Shikamaru smirking.

"Good thing his son didn't die or else we would be having some economic troubles," said Tsunade who started massaging her temples. "I have to give credits to Shino and Sakura for saving the man."

Shikamaru nodded in agreement. "Shino is weird but definitely good. Well, you trained Sakura after all."

Tsunade smiled a bit. "I can see myself in her."

"Well, I heard she's expecting a child," said Shikamaru.

"Yeah, I got surprised when she married the Uchiha after all what happened between them. I guess she truly loves him," shrugged Tsunade. She was thinking that Sakura deserved someone better.

"It's been years since you pardoned him."

"He had helped defending the village against Madara."

"But he attacked our village too before it," reminded Shikamaru. "Not to mention the other crimes he had done like Danzou's murder, affiliation with the Akatsuki, frustrated capture of the eight-tailed jinchuuriki and the attack at the Kage Summit. You have to talk with the other Kages so he would be wiped off on the Bingo book."

"I know. Team 7 asked me to reconsider his case," said Tsunade. After the last war against Uchiha Madara, her priority was to reconstruct and rehabilitate the village again. "To imprison the young Uchiha again would be futile. He could break free if he wanted to, considering the state of our village during that time. He was free to leave Konoha after the war but he stayed in our village."

"Weird guy," commented Shikamaru. "Too bad he can't be an Anbu captain, isn't it?"

With intelligence and skills to boot, Uchiha Sasuke is more than qualified to be an Anbu captain like his late older brother, Uchiha Itachi, who had gotten the title at the mere age of thirteen.

"You said so," said Tsunade giving off a bitter smile. "But he can't hold a high administrative position. It is against the special conditions we have drafted for the safety of Konoha."

"The Uchiha was really lucky to have Team 7 behind him all along even after he defected from them especially Naruto."

"Yeah, the kid never lost his hope that he would be able to bring back the Uchiha to the village. Stubborn kid." Naruto never ceased to amaze her; he had the unique qualities of being a great Hokage someday.

"Shikamaru," Tsunade's voice turned serious. "Takamura's assassin was found dead. That leaves us with no solid piece of evidence to get our hands on the man behind the assassination."

"I see. We're on a dead end," frowned Shikamaru.

The case would have been closed because the assassin was dead if not for the fact that their client belongs to an influential family in Konoha and that their prime suspect is a citizen of another village. It was really fortunate that Shino and Sakura was able to save the guy or else the client's father, who is a _daimyo_, would have cut off a significant supply of rice and wheat to the village.

Something really needs to be done with the ownership of lands on the future. It should not belong to a few people alone.

On the other hand, they can't just hold of a citizen from another village especially one in which they are not allied with. What they have is still a supposition and breaking into another village could seriously undermine the international relationship between neighbouring countries.

"Troublesome," sighed Shikamaru. "We need to have a solid piece of evidence first against our prime suspect and even though we have it already, we can't just pick the guy and haul him here in Konoha and imprison him. That decision rests with the Mizukage of their Village. It is not within our jurisdiction to put him on trial and punish him unless he was an international criminal or hade done the crime within Konoha's boundaries."

Tsunade massaged her temples and leaned back to rest her mind for a few seconds. Although quite young, Nara Shikamaru had proven himself equal or better than other qualified shinobis to become her military advisor and strategist. "That's why I sent you here, Shikamaru."

Shikamaru scratched his chin thoughtfully. "We can send an investigating team to Mist Village and secure a substantial piece of evidence against the suspect. Once proven, arrest him then discuss the matters with the Mizukage."

Tsunade nodded, liking the idea.

"We are expecting at least five million Ryo to be paid by our client for the mission," added Shikamaru. This payment would be stored as government funds to be used for projects to develop the village. "And we also need a spokesperson."

Tsunade thought for a second, "Shizune."

"Alright, together Shizune and a special Anbu investigating team would be sent there. The Mist Village is still a dangerous area even after the administration has changed."

"Naruto, Sasuke and Sai would accompany her," said Tsunade who immediately took out an official looking paper and began scribbling on it.

"Hokage, may I leave now?" Shikamaru asked having served his purpose. He would go back to sleep.

"Fine. Leave," dismissed Tsunade. "Please summon those three on my office before you went back to your own things."

"Hey, why me?" Shikamaru groaned out loud. He had already done his part; it's not part of his job to find those three, right?

Tsunade stopped writing and rested her chin against her hands. In a sweet, deadly voice, she asked. "Are you questioning my orders, Nara Shikamaru?"

The Konoha advisor and strategist made an involuntary step backwards. "No, Hokage."

"Good," smiled Tsunade. She pointed her red-coated fingernail to the door. "You can leave now."

oOo

* * *

Adjusting the lens of her microscope, Sakura exhaled a forlorn sigh. "I really miss being out in the field."

Ever since she was assigned to do the research work about cellular regeneration, the Godaime had stopped giving her Anbu missions. Apart from her, the only ones who knew about her study are the Godaime and Shizune. She was given a time span of eight months to find an alternative way of speedier but safer cellular regeneration. One of the drawbacks of speeding cellular regeneration more that its normal mode was that it shortens the life span of the person doing it. This research could help them heal more patients with complicated and fatal cases.

Tsunade had tried it during their encounter against Orochimaru. It was unknown how much of her life span had shortened after using it. Furthermore, it is an open secret that despite her youthful look between 30-40 years old, she was not getting any younger and she was of the same age with Jiraiya. She was hiding her true age behind a technique that makes her young.

She was already on her fifth month of research and experimentation and so far, it was yielding good results. Even after she finished her research work, she wouldn't still be able to accept Anbu missions considering her pregnancy.

A series of knocks on the door stopped her from her musings.

"Yes?" Sakura opened the door a little revealing her blonde friend, Yamanaka Ino.

"You have a visitor," Ino said in a cheerful tone.

There was something in the tone of Ino's voice which she didn't like. "Who is it?"

"It's the Takamura guy; he said he wanted to talk to you."

"Why?" Sakura frowned.

"I do not know," shrugged Ino but she raised a blonde eyebrow at her.

"I'll follow," said Sakura. She closed the door and fixed her things. Before leaving, she sealed the contents of her research work inside a scroll.

She reached the lounge area in a few minutes to find an auburn-haired man sitting patiently on one of the couches.

"Sakura-san," Hideki stood up and greeted her with a small bow.

Compared to the last time she saw him, he was now casually dressed in dark pants and plaid green shirt and he looked fully recovered.

"What can I do for you?"

"I came to invite you for lunch."

Her sweat dropped. "I've already told you that I'm already married."

He just smiled at her reaction for he had anticipated it already. "I know. I'm not asking you out for a date. I would just like to thank you for saving my life and apologize for being rude the other day."

"Oh," Sakura muttered to herself. "You really don't have to."

"It's not really what you think. It's just going to be a simple lunch, that's all. If you like, you can bring along a friend of yours." He casted a glance behind her.

Sakura turned around and found Ino watching them with a knowing smile and gave a thumbs-up.

"Excuse me for a moment," said Sakura before walking up to Ino.

"What's with that smile and that thumbs-up?" Sakura hissed at her. "I'm already married, Ino-pig!"

To her surprise, she found that it was not only Ino who was watching them but other young trainee medics and nurses. They were looking at the guy with a longing and smitten look painted all over their faces.

"Hey!" Ino called out to Hideki. "Sure, we're going!"

Sakura gasped at what she did and pinched her hard on the side.

"Ouch!" Ino shrieked at her. "What was that for?"

Sakura grabbed Ino and talked in a low voice. "For you being such a flirt! You're dating Shikamaru, aren't you?"

"I am not flirting with him!" Ino disagreed with a toss of her long blonde hair. "The guy said it's just going to be a friendly lunch. And I'm not cheating over Shikamaru because I'm just going to chaperone you."

"And so that makes me the cheating one?" Sakura huffed at her.

"Oh come on, Forehead! It's just a friendly lunch. You're not cheating on your dear Sasuke unless you're guilty of liking that guy, are you?"

"Of course not! That's ridiculous, Ino-pig! He was just a patient."

"Then there's nothing wrong with accepting the lunch invitation," argued Ino. "Come on, Sakura. I'm hungry and I know you're hungry too."

"No, I'm not," said Sakura but unfortunately, her stomach didn't agree with her.

"See?" Ino smirked at her. "Oh come on, Sakura! Don't overanalyze things."

Ino was right. There is nothing wrong with accepting the lunch invitation because as Hideki had said earlier, it would only be a sort of thank you from him. And it would be the three of them going out so it wouldn't look like they're going out on a date. Moreover, she's really hungry from working non-stop since morning. Naruto and Sasuke would still be in at the Hokage building, probably discussing their mission or they could be training out somewhere again.

"Okay." Sakura rolled her eyes when Ino jumped in glee. She turned to Hideki who was watching them with interest and spoke in a professional-like voice. "Yes, we're accepting your lunch invitation."

Much to Sakura and Ino's surprise, they entered a classy Japanese café and restaurant later on. They didn't even have to look for a table; they were ushered to a special place reserved for them. Sakura thought that they would just be eating in a simple restaurant like Ichiraku Ramen, which is the most popular eating place in Konoha. The restaurant has a quiet ambiance with a seating capacity of twenty to thirty people. As she looked around, she noticed that people here looked quite serious and refined. In fact, she saw the Hyuuga clan leader, Hinata's father in a far corner, discussing some matters with a group of official looking guys from another village.

It dawned upon her that the small restaurant was not meant for many people, it's for those who can afford it.

"Wow!" Ino gasped as the array of foods laid before them.

Silently, Sakura agreed and she felt her stomach grumble in anticipation at the sight of the delicious-looking foods.

"I do not have any idea of what you may like to eat so I just ordered the usual favourites of the people and some of this place's specialty ones," explained Hideki. "Is there something you like to order?"

The question was meant for Sakura but it was Ino who answered. "No, it's already enough for us."

"Yeah," answered Sakura. It was pretty obvious that Ino can't wait to eat.

"Alright, let's eat then."

They started eating in silence with Ino making some positive comments now and then.

"You two have been friends since childhood?" Hideki asked trying to start a conversation.

"Yeah, since our genin days," said Ino helping herself to a serving of crab. "We see each other as a friend and competitor."

"It's more like of a friendly competition," said Sakura, shoving a dumpling on her mouth.

"Competition on what?"

"Trivial things," waved off Sakura. "It was silly."

"Things like skills and who's a better kunoichi and over a boy too. We fought over Sasuke back when we were young like other girls of our age," recalled Ino with a smile. "She got the upper hand then because she was in the same team with him."

"The Uchiha Sasuke," Hideki said.

"Yeah, her husband. I outgrew that childhood crush when he left the village but Forehead didn't," said Ino with a reminiscent smile.

"Because you realized that you've got no chance against me," retorted Sakura playfully.

It was Ino's turn to retort at her. "Ha! I just don't want to waste my pretty face on him. And besides, I'm prettier than you." She tossed her long mane again.

"I beg to disagree," smirked Sakura. Both of them had their fair share of admirers too.

"Fine, we're both but I'm sexier," said Ino in return. "And you can't disagree with that, Forehead. I can't wait to get you see all big in the next few months."

"Big?" Hideki asked quite bewildered.

Ino looked at him. "She's pregnant, you didn't know?"

For a split second, Sakura saw disappointment and defeat flashed across his face but he instantly replaced it with a smile she could trust as genuine. "Congratulations, Sakura-san."

"Thank you, Hideki-kun," smiled Sakura.

"Your husband is very lucky to have you," he said looking at her with a longing expression.

"Speaking of your husband, Forehead," whispered Ino who had momentarily stopped eating. "He's walking towards here."

"What?" Sakura spun around instantly and her eyes widened in shock as she watched Sasuke strode towards them, his dark, and onyx eyes unfathomable as it bored straight to them.

He was not alone. Naruto and Sai were walking a few feet behind Sasuke, clearly sensing the foreboding aura emanating from him.

Suddenly, the restaurant area felt like it had dropped some degrees lower despite the warm weather. Even the people inside have stopped eating and talking as they paused to look at the Uchiha. Even the Hyuuga leader had temporary halted his conversation to glimpse at him. Some of the female staff of the restaurant had stopped doing their jobs, gazing at him with love struck faces Sakura wished she could punch out.

She didn't know if it was Sasuke's good looks and body or it was the aura he was emanating that now that captured the people at still.

Or both.

It's as if the mere presence of the Uchiha was enough to silence the whole restaurant.

oOo

* * *

Stopping by their table, Sasuke surveyed the three with an unreadable expression on his face.

Ino squirmed on her seat, obviously discomfited under the Uchiha's gaze.

"Sasuke," said Sakura softly, walking slowly towards him.

"Uchiha Sasuke." Hideki Stood up bowed and offered a handshake. "I'm Takamura Hideki."

Blatantly ignoring the offered handshake, Sasuke turned to Sakura as if he did not hear the guy spoke. "We were looking for you."

"You were?" Sakura's brows shot in surprise as she looked at him, Naruto and Sai.

"The staff told us you went out on a date," said Naruto in an accusing tone. He looked at the guy and frowned. The man is their client, the son of the daimyo who was nearly killed just the past week. Their mission brief was discussed already by the Hokage and it seemed like the guy's family is willing to pay a substantial amount to put the man behind the assassination behind bars.

"I thought a date comprises a man and a woman only. How come there are three of you?" Sai asked innocently.

"This is not a date!" Sakura hissed out at them. "We are just having a simple lunch out here."

"Simple lunch," repeated Sasuke to himself as he gazed at the table before them, noting the different dishes laid upon it. Does twenty various menus count as simple?

"Ino, tell them!" Sakura turned to her suddenly quiet best friend.

"Huh?" Ino exclaimed surprisingly as Sasuke, Naruto and Sai diverted their attention to her. She was really trying to make herself inconspicuous. Seeing that she has to explain their side, she started. "At first, it was just really Sakura who was invited and he told her that I can come along. I told Forehead to accept the lunch invitation since I see there's really nothing wrong with it, seeing that it was just like a sort of thank you and a -"

She stopped momentarily as Sasuke's eyes narrowed upon her.

_This is enough_, Sasuke thought. He forced himself to bit back a retort he was sure that would make her burst into tears and run to Shikamaru.

He grabbed Sakura's hand and pulled her to leave when he felt that something was holding them back. When he turned back to look, he was infuriated to see that the Hideki guy caught Sakura's arm, purposely holding her back.

"What are you doing?" Sakura asked shockingly and wriggled her arm free out of his touch.

Hideki looked at him directly. "Your wife and I are not dating. I just invited her for lunch as a sort of gratitude for saving my life and I want to apologize to her for being rude. Please don't get mad at her."

_Now this guy was making him look like the villain_, thought Sasuke incensed.

"I'm not talking to you," Sasuke snapped coldly at him.

"Ooh!" They heard the people cooed in excitement.

Tension filled the atmosphere as everyone watched in anticipation what would happen next. Sasuke's dark, onyx eyes were staring coldly at Hideki as if he was worth nothing but a pest he had to squash.

"Sasuke, let's leave," whispered Sakura pleadingly. She could see that Sasuke was already angry with the way his muscle jaws were clenched tight. Hideki's fine-looking face would surely be reduced to something like a mashed potato if Sasuke decided to strike him right now. The guy was a mere civilian and he stood no chance against shinobis like them let alone a powerful and a skilled one like Sasuke.

People were watching over their scene like it was an action-romance-drama series on the television. She shouldn't have listened to Ino. It was really a bad idea to accept the invitation after all. She has to explain it to Sasuke at home, not here where there are lots of people hanging on to every bit of word they were saying.

oOo

* * *

To her consternation, Inner Sakura popped up. "Wow, can you believe it? We are torn between two gorgeous guys! Yay!"

Inner Sakura pretended that she was in the middle of a tug of war between Sasuke and Hideki, her arms being pulled on opposite sides.

"Would you please shut up?" Sakura mentally yelled to her alter ego. "You're not helping matters at all!"

oOo

* * *

"Sasuke, let's go." Sakura whispered, tugging at the hem of his shirt. "Please."

Sasuke relaxed a little but he didn't budge from his position and eye glaring against Hideki.

"Wow, look at these foods!" Naruto exclaimed at the top of his voice. He sat on the empty chair which used to be occupied by Sakura a while ago and grabbed a dish. He turned to Hideki and grinned. "Hey, can I have some?"

Hideki blinked at the question and turned to Naruto. "Sure."

"Thanks! You're my friend now," grinned Naruto. He gave Sakura a fast, meaningful wink before gesturing to Hideki again. "Hey, why don't you join me here? Come on!" He forced the guy to sit across from him. "Sai, join us too!"

Understanding what Naruto meant her to do, Sakura pulled Sasuke away from the table. Although Sasuke resisted at first, he gave in and allowed Sakura to get them out of the restaurant.

oOo

* * *

Sakura gently closed the door of their house and turned to face Sasuke who was looking at her with a frosty, calculating stare. "Sasuke, we are not dating."

"Yamanaka said that he invited you alone." Sasuke forced himself to calm down. A while ago, his fists were really itching to punch and kill the man if not for the fact that they were in a public place and the guy was a mere, vulnerable civilian.

Sure it was the three of them eating but he saw the way that guy looked at Sakura as if she was the only one he can see. Even Sakura's flirtatious blonde friend Yamanaka Ino had said that it was really Sakura who was invited and she just happened to be like a chaperone. It means that the guy really has a thing for her.

Upon seeing them talking so close, an odd feeling rose within him. Something like fury surged within that made him want to use the Amaterasu and burn the bastard into ashes. Sakura was not meant to be with any other man aside from him or Team 7. He felt like he has this precious item that belonged only to him was being taken away or shared by someone he did not want to.

It was something peculiar that he had never ever felt before.

If his assumptions were correct, they had met when the guy was sent to the hospital and Sakura was the medic who was assigned to him. As far as he was concerned, there is an existing code of ethics between medics that forbids any romantic relationship between a medic and his or her patient.

"He was your patient."

"Yes, he asked me out on a date after he had just recovered on the hospital but I already told him that I'm married," admitted Sakura.

So the guy was really after her and had asked her out beforehand without him knowing. Did Sakura forgot to tell him about it or she purposely hid it from him? What does she mean that she declined the offer because she was already married? Does that mean that if not for the fact that she was married already she would have accepted the date right then and there? He did not force her into matrimony and if she still longs to enjoy being single and date other guys then she should have not accepted it in the first place.

He sighed inwardly. So many questions were running inside his mind now.

"You still went out with him a while ago," he accused.

"He invited me but it would be just for a simple lunch as a token of gratitude because I was able to save his life," explained Sakura. "He said that I can bring along a friend if I wanted and Ino heard it so she persuaded me to accept the invitation since there's nothing really wrong with it."

She looked at him straight into the eyes, never betraying his gaze, willing him to believe in her.

With the way she was looking at him, it seemed that she was telling the truth. Even though he still doubted her, a voice inside his head was telling him that Sakura was not the type of woman to cheat behind her husband.

"Have it occurred to you what other people may say?" Even though what happened between the guy and her was not a romantic date, it was still not right. What she had done was unjustifiable. She was a married woman now and to be seen dining out with another man aside from him or their friends would be seen as an act of infidelity. "You are now carrying the Uchiha name. You are disgracing it."

Sakura flinched at the words. Sasuke is pretty sensitive about his clan and is immensely loyal to it. Being the remaining Uchiha, he had sworn to revive the Uchiha clan and restore its dignity and honor. "I'm sorry."

News travel fast, he was sure that before the end of the day most of the Konoha residents would have known what happened and the real story would have been modified. They would be the topic of gossip-loving people for at least a week.

What is done is done.

Suddenly, he noticed that there was a small smile playing on her lips.

"What's funny?" There's nothing funny about what she did.

A mischievous smile was playing on her face. "You're jealous, aren't you?"

"Jealous?" Sasuke repeated the word questioningly as if he had never heard of the word before.

"Yes," quipped Sakura.

"No, I am not," said Sasuke. He was jealous? That's ridiculous. Such word is not inside his vocabulary. He had never known of such thing.

To his annoyance, Sakura raised her brow at him jovially. "Yes, you are."

"No, I'm not."

"Yes, you are."

"No, I'm not." He repeated with emphasis.

"Yes, you are."

Sasuke ignored her and decided that he would just train outside to release the tension and anger building up inside him. They had already settled what has to be settled and it was enough. He did not have to engage in a nonsensical conversation about something as inconsequential as jealousy. "I'm going to train outside."

He was almost on the door when he felt her arms snaked from behind him and around his waist. He felt her head rested against his back.

"Sasuke," she spoke out his name softly. She tightened her arms around his waist. "I've always loved you."

She released her arms around him and pulled him to face her. Then, she linked her hands to his neck, tiptoed her feet and yanked his head to her.

Sasuke was stunned as Sakura pulled him to kiss. At first, she was kissing him gently then it turned passionate, her hands holding his neck in order for her to reach his face despite the huge difference in their heights.

His earlier plan of training forgotten, Sasuke responded to her fervent kiss by kissing her back, capturing her mouth in full. She let out a little moan of surprise as his tongue tasted her lips and explored further inside her mouth. He caught her lower back as he felt her get weakened by their passionate kiss and pulled her body upwards to him, continuing their kiss. With her feet off the ground, Sakura placed again both of her hands on his nape for support, her slender fingertips stroking his thick, black hair while she let him continue explore her mouth.

After a few seconds, she felt dizzy from the lack of oxygen and pulled out her lips from him to breathe. Sasuke placed her on the ground and paused to catch his breath too.

They looked on one another and it was evident with the darkened color of their eyes that it has just started.

It had been difficult for him after their first night of marriage. His body seemed like it wanted her physical presence now and then. It was something that the hormones inside the human body do that made it an instinctive thing for him to do things he had never had an experience with beforehand.

Sasuke could not control himself any longer and grabbed her small waist towards him and started kissing her again, his hands tracing every curve of her still lean body. On the other hand, Sakura seemed out of control too as she slid her hands under his shirt and Anbu vest, feeling his hard chest and the abdominal packs. She removed his Anbu vest with ease but when she tried to yank his dark, blue shirt from him, she found that it was not easy since their arms were over one another.

"Damn," he heard her curse impatiently.

A small laugh escaped his lips at her futile attempt and he momentarily removed his lips from her and pulled his shirt off for her. Then, he pulled her again, locking their lips, her fingers playing with his naked upper torso sending shivers of desire streaking thorough out his body. He grabbed her waist and hoisted her against him, holding her little waist to keep her from falling.

Now that she has some support on her waist, she dangled her legs and crossed it behind him. Her face was now level with his and she kissed him fully, soft whimpers coming every now and then as she felt his hand wander inside her white medic coat.

Out of his own volition, his feet slowly dragged them towards their bedroom, their clothes being removed one by one and tossed to the floor as they reached the confines of their private room.

oOo

* * *

Sunlight streaked across the window, blinding him with the sudden burst of bright light. With his eyes still half-closed, he was about to get up from the bed when he felt something heavy above him. He opened his eyes fully and saw Sakura lying above him, blissfully asleep, her head nestled sideways against his chest and her arms behind his shoulders.

The events of the past day replayed inside his mind and he chuckled to himself in disbelief that they had skipped dinner and slept for more than eight hours, too tired after what happened yesterday afternoon. Their scattered clothes on the floor leading outside their bedroom door were enough proof of the intensity yesterday.

Tracing the contour of her spine, she moved reflexively and buried her face to the crook of his neck. She was still sleeping soundly as manifested by the rhythmic movement of her chest against his and the little, funny snores coming from her.

He glanced sideward at the alarm clock beside him.

6:15 a.m.

Their mission to the Mist Village would resume in less than an hour. He needed to prepare his things for the mission.

Carefully so as not to awake her, he gently pushed her from him and laid her gently on the pillows, covering her naked body with the blanket. He grabbed a bathrobe and went to the bathroom, showering for a few minutes then dressed up in his full Anbu gear. After slipping into his uniform, he started picking up their scattered clothes from their bedroom leading towards the receiving room of the house. He folded them neatly and placed it on the laundry hamper and walked towards the kitchen to prepare himself some coffee.

After finishing his coffee, he took his animal-painted mask and was about to place it on his face when the doorbell rang.

He walked towards the door and opened it revealing a young man in a printed uniform holding a big bouquet of flowers.

"_Ohayogozaimasu!_" The young man greeted happily and bowed before him. "Delivery, Sir! Flowers for Uchiha Sakura!"

Sasuke frowned, annoyed to be disturbed so early in the morning. "I think you are mistaken."

BLAG!

After these words, Sasuke slammed the door shut to the poor man's face. He was about to return to his mission preparation when the doorbell rang again.

"What?" Sasuke asked irritated.

"S-sir? C-can y-you please just sign these as p-proof that I was able to deliver these f-flowers?" The delivery man stuttered, cowering under the Uchiha's piercing stare. Shaking, he handed him a paper and pen to sign.

Sasuke snatched the pen and paper from him, signed it and shove it to the delivery man. Upon receiving the signed form, the delivery man scampered away leaving the flowers at the doorstep. Sasuke picked it up. It was a fresh bouquet of big, pink lilies. A card was inserted between the flowers, he took it out and read.

_I would like to extend my sincerest apologies to you and your husband._

_ Takamura Hideki_

Crushing the card, Sasuke threw it to the floor along with the flowers eyeing it with dislike.

"Stubborn bastard," he muttered satisfyingly as he stomped upon the beautiful lilies, grinding it with his wooden slippers until they were crushed. Not satisfied that he can still see it, he brought forth a small amount of chakra to his chest then breathed enough fire from his mouth to burn the flowers.

However, just as he released the fire from his mouth, he felt Sakura's presence. She had already awakened and was now walking towards him.

"Sasuke? I heard the doorbell rang, who was it?" Sakura yawned rubbing her eyes. Wearing nothing but a silk bathrobe and hair dishevelled, she slowly walked towards him. She squinted her eyes at what seemed like a little fire burning upon their doorstep and the faint outlines of what seemed like flowers within it.

"What have you done to those poor flowers?" She cried in shock at the little "horrible" scene.

"It was from him," said Sasuke in a low voice, his face set in an expressionless facade. He looked at her and waited for a reaction.

"Oh," gasped Sakura in surprise as she understood whom he meant. She shrugged her shoulders and hurried to the kitchen. "Wait! Have you eaten yet? I'm going to cook some -"

He raised a hand to stop her. "I'm in a hurry. We are leaving for Mist Village."

"Alright," sighed Sakura. She watched him slid on his sandals.

When he was about to place his mask on his face, she run to him, tiptoed and planted a soft kiss on his mouth before pulling the Anbu mask to his face.

"Take care," she said in a little voice, clearly surprised and embarrassed by what she just did.

Good thing that the mask hid the astonished look on his face, he nodded at her and slid the door open.

In a blink of an eye, he was gone.

oOo

* * *

** Hope you enjoyed this chapter!**

** Please review!**


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Thanks for the reviews!

Read and enjoy!

* * *

oOo

Chapter IV

He had never given it a serious thought before, not until Naruto brought it up that he had began poring it over for the past few hours.

A son with pink hair.

An image of a young boy with pink hair attending the Ninja Academy; an adolescent Uchiha is doing his first B or C-rank mission and a full grown shinobi with cherry-colored hair using his Sharingan.

No matter where he looked at it, the image does not sit well with him. It looked awkward.

Effeminate.

Yet, he could not blame Sakura because she was born with those physical characteristics already. If the first born would be a girl then pink hair would not matter but having a son is a different topic.

There are three possibilities. It could be black, pink or maroon hair. He would accept the maroon but definitely not pink especially if it's a male. Naruto's parents have different hair colors too but he had inherited his father's blond hair and blue eyes and according to him, his mother had red hair and the only thing he got from her was the shape of her eyes and face.

However, if worst comes to worst, he would just have to accept the fact that he would have a son with pink hair. No matter what the hair color is, the child is still an Uchiha. He would just teach the child how to dye his hair on a regular basis and when he gets old enough to do some ninjutsu, a permanent transformation technique.

Granted that his parents would still be alive today, he wondered what they would say if an Uchiha male would be born with a pastel, cherry blossom-colored hair.

If the Uchiha massacre had not happened, he would probably end up marrying one of their relatives. It had been an old tradition for Uchiha members to marry fellow relative Uchihas in order to maintain the purity of the bloodline and the strength of the Sharingan. There were cases where some Uchiha members have wedded outsiders and were still accepted; but most of them, especially the elders, preferred someone within the clan.

Itachi had already been arranged to marry an Uchiha cousin when he was just twelve years old. It was too early considering that most of the Uchiha males and females were being set up upon reaching eighteen. Being the eldest son of the Uchiha Fugaku and considered as the heir to the Uchiha clan leadership, Itachi was paired with the daughter of the deputy commander of the Konoha Police Military Force which was mostly dominated by the Uchiha clan.

Unfortunately, Itachi killed the girl too during the night of the Uchiha massacre.

"Hey, Teme!" Naruto whispered loudly.

Sasuke turned to him, carefully hiding their selves behind dense foliage of trees and masking their chakras. "What?"

Naruto grinned at him. "You were dozing off into space."

"My eyes have been opened for the past few hours. Maybe you are the one dozing off into space," countered Sasuke quietly.

"No, I mean," Naruto paused and thought for a while. "You are staring off into space and you look like your head is in the clouds."

"_Baka._" Perched on top of the tree, Sasuke scanned the mansion one hundred meters away from them, taking note of its structure.

"Yeah, right," snorted Naruto. He had known the Uchiha for so long that it did not surprise him that Sasuke would deny what he had observed. Sasuke always thinks that he is not capable of doing stupid things. Trust the Uchiha to think himself as Mr. Perfect Guy in every sense.

Hiding behind dense foliage of trees, Sasuke scanned the area one hundred meters away from them.

"Get ready," he instructed, speaking through the short-ranged radio hanging on his neck.

"Can't wait to get started," chirped Naruto excitedly.

"Ready," Sai's voice came over.

"Start the countdown," ordered Sasuke.

"Three," started Sai.

"Two," chirped Naruto thrilled.

"One," finished Sasuke.

Concealed on different corners surrounding the suspect's mansion, the three of them leapt away from the trees they are hiding and sprinted towards the high walls enclosing the mansion. They moved within the darkness of the night, the thick night fog concealing their forms and the rustling of the leaves muffling the sound of their sandals as they sped through. With their chakras effectively masked, each one of them easily slipped far behind the unaware guards and leapt into the wall. Each of them landed quietly on separate corners and began moving towards the mansion, keeping their eyes opened and their movements swift and silent to prevent any unwanted attention especially from the ninja guards.

Naruto took the back door which opened to the kitchen, Sai used the underground gutter and Sasuke entered through the window on the second floor.

Activating his Sharingan against the total darkness, Sasuke ran stealthily along the narrow hallway, his footsteps barely making a sound as he practically glided along the carpeted floor. He paused now and then, checking for nearby ninjas roaming around. Then he turned around in a corner and flattened himself against the wall, waiting patiently for his target to come around.

In a few minutes, the target arrived.

In one swift move, Sasuke tackled the shinobi and hit him on the cervical area, causing the man to lose his consciousness. Next, he focused chakra within his fingertips and stabbed it against the shinobi's vital chakra points, successfully rendering the target unable to mold chakra if ever he regains his consciousness within the next twenty four hours. He turned the man's face down on the floor, rummaged through his pockets and found no identification card. Then, he tied the man's arms against his back and when he was about to shove a mouthpiece to his throat, he caught a silver chain and pulled it.

A silver, necklace tag with the man's name carved on it. Sasuke immediately placed it on his neck.

Placing the man's limp body upon his shoulder, Sasuke walked straight and veered on his left and opened the first door.

Sai's blueprint of the building was very accurate that he did not have any difficulty finding the room. This morning, Sai had sent five small, ink rats to the mansion and after two hours, the ink rats returned and dissolved to the blank scroll. Gradually, a detailed structure of the mansion appeared.

He found himself inside a small, empty room with a single, unoccupied futon lying on the floor. He looked around, found a cabinet and placed the unconscious man inside and locked it. Afterwards, he performed a series of hand seals and instantly, he had changed his appearance.

Sasuke was now the exact replica of the shinobi he had just locked inside the cabinet from the clothes down to the physical appearance. His hair was now shoulder-length, shaggy brown and dark, grey eyes.

Before leaving the room, he hesitated if he should just kill the guy to prevent any complications that might compromise their mission. However, it was unnecessary and he still needs the man to gain some information.

"Phase one complete," said Sasuke quietly through the two-way radio.

"Phase one complete," said Sai.

"Phase one," Naruto's voice came over. "Complete."

Sasuke slid the door closed and left the room. He did not run but walked briskly towards the hallway and found two shinobi's pacing on opposite sides.

"Is that you, Teme?" Naruto whispered.

"Any problems?" Sasuke asked taking note of Sai and Naruto's appearance. Naruto had a dark blue, spiky hair and black eyes with a silver earring on his left ear and a stud on the nose.

"None," said Sai who was now taking the disguise of tall, dark-skinned muscular man with black hair and eyes. "The Swordsman's room is directly adjacent to the suspect."

"I see," muttered Sasuke. The target had hired a Mist Swordsman to protect himself. It is possible that they are anticipating an attack from Konoha-nins.

"Hey, Teme!" Naruto called him excitedly.

Sasuke ignored him first. "We have to get as close to them as possible."

Sai looked at Naruto and Sasuke but seeing as Sasuke was not paying attention to Naruto and seemed focused on their plan, he just listened. "Since all of us will be situated here at the second floor, it means that we are the third frontliners."

Sasuke nodded. The Mist-nins that have been hired are located strategically around the mansion. The first one were patrolling outside the walls and entrances, the second ones inside the walls and outside the mansion, the third ones are inside the mansion and if they guessed correctly, the Mist Swordsman is the last one and the most skilled of them all.

"Hey, Teme!"

"We are going to observe their daily activities for at least two days," began Sasuke when Naruto called him again.

"Sasuke!" Naruto whispered quite loud already.

Deciding that he cannot keep feigning ignorance anymore, Sasuke turned to Naruto and he knew that with the foolish grin on the blonde's face, whatever Naruto was going to say is useless. "What?"

Naruto grinned proudly. "Look at my disguise. Isn't it cool? I look like a rockstar! I'm more good-looking than you now."

Sai's smile widened. "You have piercings."

"Yeah," grinned Naruto and turned to Sasuke to fish for compliment. "What d'you think?"

Forcing himself to remain calm, Sasuke looked at him with a deadpan face. "Is that all you've got to say?"

"Er, yeah," grinned Naruto wider.

"You interrupted me just to say those?" Sasuke asked in a quiet, sarcastic voice. "You know that we're in the middle of discussing our plan for the mission, don't you?"

Naruto caught the sarcasm in his tone. "Chill, Sasuke. You're taking things too damn seriously!"

'We are in the middle of our mission and we are with dealing with criminal and dangerous Mist-nins," started Sasuke. "I am the leader on this mission and you will listen and cooperate, is that clear?"

"Fine," countered Naruto. "You wait till I'm the leader on our next mission."

"Good."

Naruto decided to listen to Sasuke's brief of their mission plan while thinking if the latter had ever cracked a joke on his whole life. Maybe he does not even know the meaning of humour. He wondered if he might try pulling a prank on him on April Fool's but immediately decided against it.

Who knows, he might even mistake a simple prank for a death threat.

* * *

oOo

"Here it is, pretty lady." The vendor handed Sakura three large bouquets of white chrysanthemums.

"Arigatou," smiled Sakura as she balanced the three bunches of flowers on her arms. She bowed politely at the old man and bid him goodbye.

Humming a soft tune she had watched on a TV commercial, Sakura walked with a bounce on her steps basking in early morning breeze. She had just finished her research work experimentation yesterday and she just needed to do the paper works part. She had finished earlier than the expected time span; therefore, she would have more time to do other things.

The steel arch of Konoha's cemetery loomed far away from her, a sense of foreboding and nervousness coursing through her. She was greeted by a majestic statue of the first Hokage and on its feet, a tall, rectangular epitaph was written with a solemn quotation about life and death. On both sides, rows and columns of tombstones were arranged, everything well-maintained. There were little villages of graves separated from the rest where it houses the deceased members of different prominent clans of Konoha. Among them were the Hyuugas, Naras, Akamchis and Aburames. But the conspicuous ones were the Shinju and Uchiha clans. They have the biggest mausoleums situated at the end of the cemetery probably as sign of respect to the foundations of Konoha.

The Uchiha mausoleum made of pure white marble with the Uchiha symbol displayed on its entrance. Sakura entered and saw the pictures of various Uchiha members organized down from its predecessor, Uchiha Madara to the present where the last picture was of Uchiha Itachi. She could just imagine the number of pictures added after the Uchiha massacre.

She lighted a few sticks of incense candles and uttered a silent prayer for them. Then, she entered the door on the side of the mausoleum which leads to the back garden where the graves of all Uchihas were situated. She easily found the names she was looking for.

Kneeling before the three adjacent graves, she placed the bouquet of flowers on each one and greeted them. "Good morning, Fugaku-san, Mikota-san and Itachi-san."

She turned first to Sasuke's parents and bowed respectfully. "Fugaku-san, Mikoto-san, I'm here to tell you that Sasuke and I are expecting a child. We do not know yet if it's going to be boy or girl but I hope that you'll be happy." Afterwards, she pause thinking of her next words. "I know that Sasuke just asked me for marriage because he wanted to revive the Uchiha clan but I do really love him that's why I agreed. As his wife, I wanted to share his pain and everything he had suffered but there's still an invisible wall between us that he keeps putting through. But I promise you-" She stopped and looked at the graves straight and sincerely said.

"I will always stand by him no matter what."

Next, she turned to Uchiha Itachi's grave, the man whom Sasuke had looked up to, loathed and respected. The man who had sacrificed his parents and clan for the greater sake of people and his life for his little brother he had wanted to protect. "Itachi-san."

"All I ask of you is to guide Sasuke that he may not go back to the path he had walked upon," said Sakura meaningfully before standing up to leave. "Please be his eyes."

oOo

It was already their second day of spying and so far, they have gotten some snippets of conversation that indicated that their suspect is involved in various illegal activities in and out of the country which have contributed a lot to his wealth and at the same time, have amassed him a number of enemies, which included Konoha. However, they still have not enough information that he was responsible for the murder and frustrated assassination of their clients. If ever he resisted or used any means to escape, they would have to be revert to their alternative plan.

"Anyone up for a spar?" A tall, lean man carrying a long sword on his shoulder asked the stationed guards on the mansion's grounds.

Akiro Kurosuki, one of the Seven Swordsman of the Mist.

None of them replied to him and evaded his eyes.

"Cowards," the man spat at them, clearly disgusted. From his position at the balcony, he turned to the shinobi guards behind him which included Naruto, Sai and Sasuke. "How about anyone of you?"

Again, none of the guards responded.

If their observation is correct, all of the Mist shinobi guards were afraid of the Mist Swordsman. Yesterday, he challenged one of the shinobi guards to a simple fight but what they have been expecting as training turned out to be a real fight with the poor shinobi guard being killed at the end of the Mist Swordsman "practice session." It was no wonder that none of the shinobi guards wanted to accept his challenge.

"He was killing them as if they're nothing but practice mannequins," said Naruto through gritted teeth.

"They have a different kind of training," muttered Sai whose memories of childhood training under Danzou flashed before him.

"Calm down," whispered Sasuke. In order for a Ninja Academy student to graduate and become a Genin in the Hidden Mist Village, he or she had to fight, with one of the same friends they trained with, to the death. Like Zabuza, the Mist Swordsman wields twin swords that can be used to channel lightning release techniques. They can conduct lightning itself as well. The twin swords was said to be buried deep down in the bottom of the river in the Land of the Rivers after the former owner, Raiga Kurosuki killed himself. Perhaps, this Akiro Kurosuki was a family member. According to Suigetsu, swords of the Seven Swordsmen were passed down from generation to generation

"Hey, you!" The Swordsman pointed at the guard with dark, blue hair with piercings.

Naruto.

The three Konoha-nins silently sent each other looks of alarm. It's not as if they are afraid of the Mist Swordsman but they still have not enough information and if Naruto would fight the Mist Swordsman seriously, he would definitely blow up their cover.

"Come with me outside. I want someone to train with," said the Swordsman.

"Isn't yesterday enough for you, Akira?" Their suspect came out of the room. "I hired them to protect me not for you to kill. I didn't waste my money on them just for you to practice upon."

Mao Hashizume.

A tall, balding man in his late forties who seemed fond of displaying his gold jewelries frowned on the Mist Swordsman obviously regretting that he hired his service.

"You don't need them," said Akiro with an air of confidence. "I can handle those Konoha-nins single-handedly."

"_Really?_" thought Sasuke with an inward smirk. "_So they were expecting Konoha-nins?_"

Considering their Anbu status, this mission was considered as just A-rank enough for a team of jounins to handle but since the family of their client had paid a substantially large amount to capture or kill their target in the shortest span of time, the Godaime had chosen them. Actually, either of them could handle the Mist Swordsman and the rest of the Mist-nins with relative ease but they have to follow the mission that the Hokage have given to them.

"You!" The Mist Swordsman pointed to the Mist-nin with dark blue hair and piercings. "Outside. Now."

He had chosen Naruto.

"_This is going to be exciting_," thought Sasuke. The Mist Swordsman does not know who he was challenging to a fight now.

"Don't use your signature jutsus for awhile. Take it easy," whispered Sasuke as Naruto passed him.

"Alright," agreed Naruto. "Make it fast, okay? I can't wait to pounce his face into bits."

Sasuke and Sai, who were standing apart nodded at him and Naruto proceeded outside.

Mao was now flanked by the rest of the Mist guards including them, watching outside as Akiro and Naruto faced one another. They don't have any reaction perhaps already anticipating the outcome of the event like what happened the other day where the Mist Swordsman challenged another Mist-nin for simple spar training and ended up killing the shinobi guard.

"Let's see how long you are going to last out," sneered the Mist Swordsman to Naruto.

Naruto did not reply but just smirked at him.

"I'll wiping that smirk off your face," said Akiro and he lunged at Naruto. In a blur, he was behind Naruto and he swung both twin swords at both sides of his neck.

Naruto leapt away easily and aimed a kick at him but which Akiro immediately blocked by crossing his arms against it. Yet, Naruto's kick was strong enough to push him backwards and he jumped a distance from fake Mist-nin.

Next, he threw his sword in a fast, spinning position targeting Naruto and he followed. Like a shuriken thrown, the sword spun towards Naruto following a semi-circle path cutting through the branches of trees it passed through.

Naruto evaded the sword but he felt the hem of his shirt got sliced as the spinning sword nearly reached him; the speed of which it was spinning had increased the range of its damage.

"Got you!" The spinning sword was merely a decoy. Akiro charged and sliced him, a deep gash of wound slashed across Naruto's upper trunk.

POOF!

A small amount of white cloud issued as Naruto disappeared followed by a piece of log.

In a flash, Naruto appeared behind Akiro and kicked him straight across the face, sending the Mist Swordsman to the wall, creating spider-like cracks spreading from the point of impact.

Akiro stood up and glared at Naruto. "Enough for the warm-up."

"Think you're already good with that lousy kick?" Akiro sneered sarcastically to which Naruto only replied with a simple smirk.

"Ah, Akiro is pissed off," said Mao stroking his chin in a thoughtful look.

True enough, the guards started to get more interested and moved forward to watch as the Mist Swordsman and their fellow "fake" Mist-nin engaged in taijutsu. They were obviously surprised that the Mist Swordsman was somehow physically hurt.

"Obono Bunshin no Jutsu!"

Two clones of the Mist Swordsman appeared and simultaneously attacked Naruto while the real Akiro disappeared amidst the mist.

Running around, Naruto fired two shurikens to the two clones which instantly extinguished into a fine mist and scanned his eyes around the area waiting for the real Akiro to show at any moment.

Activating his Sharingan, Sasuke easily spotted the real Akiro who was now fast approaching Naruto from behind. The Mist Swordsman had used the natural mist surrounding the area together with his Mist clones to launch a surprise attack.

Naruto blocked the twin swords using his kunais although he was at the disadvantage because the twin swords were longer and bigger compared to his kunais. Compensating for this, he drew up his chakra and extended it against his two kunais, making it sharper and longer. The sound of blades banging into each other could be heard but cannot be seen because of the mist and the relative speed of the two shinobis.

All of a sudden, four copies of the Naruto's Mist-nin appeared then disappeared. The clones launch upwards and begin to somersault towards Akiro; they began spinning down on him and slammed their heels unto his shoulder and head.

Akiro managed to counter attack by swinging his twin swords above him creating a strong whirlwind added with the sharpness of his two blades.

All the Mist-nins were now watching fascinated, the security dropping a bit.

Sasuke caught Sai's eyes on him and he nodded.

It is the perfect time.

Slowly, they disappeared from their place with none of the Kirigakure-nins noticing them and in a swift move, Sasuke was behind Mao, jabbed him sharp against the nape and shoved a mouthpiece to his large mouth filled with gold teeth. Hashizume fell limply to his side, his unconscious body being dragged by Sasuke and Sai.

"You know what to do," said Sasuke leaving Mao to Sai inside the former's office.

Upon closing the door, Sasuke performed a series of hand seals and he transformed.

Into a tall, balding man.

He took Mao's seat, the bodyguards unaware that their client had already been captured and replaced by him.

Akiro and Naruto have now taken their spar one step higher, not Naruto but Akiro only. The Mist Swordsman was now using ninjutsus, something which he did not use on the other day's sparring session.

Akiro drew up his twin swords and gathered chakra around it, creating a ball of electricity and launch it against Naruto. Next, he performed another jutsu.

"Suirou no Jutsu!"

Even though Naruto had managed to avoid the electricity, the blast of water engulfed him, trapping him inside a sphere. Akiro maintained his proximity against the globe of water, watching as the person inside it grasped for air. Next, Akiro drew his two swords together and something like a spark emanated from its hilt towards its tip. Then, he slammed his two swords against the ground, several thunderbolts of white-blue electricity approaching the water prison in an unbelievable speed.

"Interrogation completed." A voice issued from the two-way radio hanging inside his clothes buzzed. "Evidencefound."

"Good," whispered Sasuke. "Take him out in a hidden location. Contact Shizune."

He watched the Mist-nins in front of him, wondering if he should kill them but after a short thought, he changed his mind. It is unnecessary. Naruto would soon finish the fight against the Mist Swordsman; they would just have to wait for him in their arranged meeting place.

Akiro guffawed, his sharp teeth beaming, as the thunderbolts permeated the sphere of water, sending high voltages of electricity coursing through his enemy. "That's what you deserve, asshole."

The Mist-nin inside the orb of water jerked horribly from the waves of electricity coursing through his body and then in a few minutes, the body went stopped jerking and went limp.

The vital organs must have been burnt already, Akiro smirked at his victory. "Dead meat."

However, his smirk was vanished as the water prison ball he had just created burst and the Mist-nin whom he thought had already died stood in front of him, wet but unscathed.

"What the-?" Akiro gasped, wondering how a Mist-nin lower than him could escape such attack easily. Suddenly, suspicious thoughts rammed his brain and his eyes widened. "Who the hell are you?"

A puff of white smoke swallowed up the Mist-nin and as soon as it dissipated, a tall, blond man with a painted animal mask appeared before him.

Instantly, Akiro changed into a defensive stance and unleashed his twin swords. He gritted his teeth in anger. "So you've been spying on us all along, Konoha-nin, I presume?"

The other Mist-nins surrounding the area changed now. They were no longer watching the fight; they had formed a circle around the two, preparing to attack the enemy.

"Leave him to me!" Akiro shouted angrily at them.

Watching a tree a few miles away from the mansion, Sasuke watched as Akiro and Naruto fought, wondering how long it would last. He just hoped that Naruto would finish the fight as soon as possible. The Mist Swordsman is pretty skilled as he can manipulate his two swords effectively in his taijutsu and ninjutsu combinations, new techniques combining his twin swords and the elements of water and electricity he had never seen before.

As expected from one of the famous Seven Swordsmen of the Mist.

* * *

oOo

"Three Konoha Anbus for a mission?" Mei Terumi's sweet but sarcastic voice floated throughout the room, her eyes scanning the three Anbu behind Shizune.

"It is upon the request of our client," replied Shizune.

The fifth Mizukage studied the scroll sent by the Hokage, her dark blue-coated lips pouting every now and then. "Hashizume had been donating a considerable amount of money to the government in the recent years, never had any idea that it comes from various illegal sources."

She signed the scroll and wrote something to it. "Rest assured, Tsunade that appropriate measures will be taken and fees will be transferred as soon as we get hold of his account."

"Arigatou, Mizukage." Shizune took the scroll and shook hands with her.

Mei nodded and she looked at the Konoha Anbu near the corner and smiled sweetly. "Long time no see, Uchiha Sasuke."

Sasuke's eyes widened as the Mizukage looked directly at him, thankful that his Anbu mask hid his expression. He remained immobile and did not reply to her greeting.

"I think you're mistaken, Mizukage," said Shizune immediately. Konoha Anbu's identities were not supposed to be revealed.

Mei waved off her hand at her and walked towards the Anbu she's eyeing a while ago. "You can't deny it. Ao had sensed you and he can't be mistaken, right Ao?"

She turned to the man standing right beside her desk and raised her brows.

"Yes, it is him."

A middle aged man with a patch over his right eye and talismans on both ears, Ao sports a dark blue hair similar to the deceased Akatsuki member and former Mist Swordsman Hoshigake Kisame and wears a striped shirt and pants with seemingly the same pattern, with a green robe over them.

"Ao had sensed the Uchiha's chakra signature when you were approaching a while ago," said Mei who was now in front of Sasuke. "You've grown taller and more muscular since the last time I've seen you at the Five Kage Summit, I bet you're still as handsome as ever. Too bad you won't remove that mask."

"_Whoa! The Mizukage is flirting with Sasuke!_" Naruto thought in amazement and envy. Sasuke had always been popular with girls because of his good looks and cool demeanor. When they were still genins, all the female population of the same age were fighting over him like he was piece of meat. When he got back to Konoha, the attention he got still remained the same albeit it lowered a little because of his status as an international criminal. Yet, over the years it increased again and it only stopped a little when news had spread that he had already married their friend, former teammate and the Godaime's apprentice, Haruno Sakura. Nevertheless, it never occurred to him even in his wildest dreams that even women twice their age would get attracted to him.

Naruto appraised the Mizukage from head to toe from behind the holes in his mask and the first thing that he noticed that like Tsunade, the Mizukage had … well, rich breasts that she seemed to be proud of. Although she seemed a bit younger than Tsunade, Mei Terumi is a slender, attractive woman in her thirties. She has ankle-length, auburn hair styled into a herringbone pattern at the back, a top-knot tied with a dark-blue band, and with four bangs at the front. Two bangs are short, with one covering her right eye, and two are long, crossing each other on her chest, just below her chin. Her eyes are light green.

She dresses in a long-sleeved dark-blue dress that falls just below the knees. It seems to be closed at the front with a zip and is kept open on the front-right side from the waist down. The dress only covers up to the upper part of her upper arms and the underside of her breasts, her deep cleavage showing.

Suddenly, an image of Tsunade flirting with him came to mind.

Naruto choked back the nauseous thought and shivered.

Mei poked a playful finger at the Sasuke's white chest plate but which the latter brushed away angrily. Right away, the Mizukage's two bodyguards were right beside her weapons raised at Sasuke. At the same time, Naruto and Sai came to Sasuke's defense.

Shizune got alarmed and immediately said, "Mizukage, we are leaving."

Mei ignored Shizune and turned to her two bodyguards, Chojuro and Ao. "I'm alright. Back away."

She smiled at Sasuke now but it was no longer the sweet, flirtatious smile she had been giving him a while ago, it looked dangerous. She inched herself closer, her breast almost pressing against the white metal chest plate of Sasuke's Anbu uniform. "Still arrogant as ever, Uchiha. You were at my mercy back then if not for the arrival of your Akatsuki plant friend, Zetsu."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed at her and in a move that surprised all of them, he removed his Anbu mask, his face impassive as he looked at the Mizukage coldly.

Mei smiled seductively as she gazed at the Uchiha's handsome face whom she thinks had never change.

Without making a move, Sasuke said in a cold, low voice enough for her to hear, "Move away from me, old hag."

The moment Sasuke finished his sentence, the smile from the Mizukage disappeared replaced by a grim, thin mouth. "How dare you, Uchiha!"

Her hand came flying across his face but Sasuke caught her wrist and jerked her away.

Two large swords nearly struck him but he managed to evade it and leapt in the opposite corner of the office and drew his kunais. The other bodyguard of the Mizukage whom he remembered was named as Chojuro, who wields a dual-handled sword called the Hiramekarei, that is linked together at the handles by a chain. When his team had attacked the Five Kage Summit, he was the one who released a hammer-shaped chakra from the sword and broke through his Susanoo's strong defense. The fact that he was chosen to escort the Mizukage and is recognized of one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist is evidence that his he is quite powerful in spite of his meek demeanor.

"Oi!" Naruto cried out and leapt forward and met Ao's defense.

Naruto and Sai prepared to attack but Shizune held her arm on them and spoke hard. "Mizukage, we are leaving."

The cold office seemed to warm up as the tension between two parties increases. Each was preparing to attack.

Still fuming with the insult hurtled at her by the Uchiha, Mei looked at them, her light green eyes full of hatred at Sasuke. She spoke in a hard voice, "Chojuro, Ao, stop."

"But Mizukage!" Chojuro protested, his eyes mixed with anger and concern.

"I said stop," Mei said in a voice full of authority.

Chojuro and Ao stopped and backed away, flanking her sides protectively.

Shizune took the opportunity, opened the door and left the Mizukage's office followed by the three Konoha Anbus, one of which had put his Anbu mask back to his face.

The office was quiet as the three were still rooted on their spots, neither willing to speak or initiate a move.

"Mizukage," said Chojuro tentatively.

"Leave the room," said Mei quietly to Ao and Chojuro, pointing to the door. "I'm going to rest."

"But,"

Ao looked at him and jerked his thumb at the door and they left the room. Still, they just remained outside the Mizukage's door.

"Damn Uchihas," said Ao. "They're all arrogant, powerful bastards. First, it was Madara who controlled our Fourth Mizukage then it was now that Uchiha Sasuke who disrespects our Fifth Mizukage. All Uchihas should die."

"Yes, they should," said Chojuro silently, clenching his Hiramekarei tightly.

oOo

* * *

A/N: I'm a big fan of SasuSaku pairing that's why I'm really trying to come up with a good storyline/plot with other characters involved.

PLEASE REVIEW!

YOU CAN CRITICIZE, SUGGEST OR COMMENT!


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Sorry for the super late update!

Thanks for the reviews and suggestions!

oOo

* * *

**Chapter 5**

The alarm clock rang noisily, its loud blaring sound waking her up from her deep slumber. Squeezing her eyes shut, she reached her arm over the bedside table and jabbed the alarm off and tried to sleep again.

"Ugh," she groaned and buried her face back into the pillow. For a minute, she tried to return back to her dream state. She was having a good dream just a while ago and not just good, but a hot good one that made her wish that she could turn it into reality. With her face still buried into the pillow, she stretched her left arm beside her and found the side of the bed empty.

Again.

It never ceased to amaze her how Sasuke manage to get up even before the sun rises. He was like a human alarm clock that never fails to ring at the set time. Unlike her who found a need to set up an alarm clock so she could wake up on time. She was really feeling sleepy nowadays like all she wanted was to curl up in the bed and sleep all day long.

"It's half past seven."

Sakura yawned and smiled at him. "Good morning."

Standing in the bedroom's doorway, Sasuke merely nodded and continued sipping his coffee. "No work?"

"I don't feel like going to the hospital today," groaned Sakura.

"If you're not feeling well, you should go to the hospital," suggested Sasuke in a monotonous voice without looking at her.

"No," said Sakura. "I'm just feeling bored today. Ino can take over. And you?"

"None," replied Sasuke.

Sakura's green eyes lit up. "Really? You have no mission or meeting today?"

"Yes."

Sakura bolted up from the bed. "So you're staying home"

"No."

Her eager face was suddenly replaced by a disappointed one. "Why? You said that you don't have any assignments for today."

"Training."

"With Naruto?"

"And Kakashi," supplied Sasuke.

She was hoping that he would stay home and they could spend some time together. Things did not change that much ever since they got married. Well, except for the fact that they got married for the obvious reason that he wanted to revive his clan, nothing much has change between them. She felt like she still has a lot to know about him, something which can only be achieved if they spend some time together.

Yet, on days when he has no mission, he would always be gone training somewhere. Either with Naruto or Kakashi or sometimes on his own improving his techniques or trying to learn new powerful jutsus. He would never be caught dozing off or lying around, he always wanted to improve and he never seemed to be contented with his skills.

"I see," said Sakura, her spirits obviously dampened. All of a sudden, an idea occurred to her. "Sasuke?"

Sasuke slanted a look at her.

"Mind if I come along?"

Finishing his coffee, he turned to her fully and asked, "What, you're training with us?"

Sakura caught the sarcasm in his tone but she ignored it. He was looking at her as if she had come up with another ridiculous idea like before when she was on a sudden shrimp-eating frenzy. "No, I would just be watching."

Sasuke thought for a few seconds while avoiding her hopeful, pleading eyes.

"You may come," said Sasuke finally. "But make sure you stay out of our way."

"Thanks!" Sakura jumped happily.

Then, she bolted out from the bed and ran past him, going straight to the kitchen. She took out the recipe book sitting on the counter and immediately browsed through the pages, flipping excitedly as she started to gather the ingredients on the table. Putting on her apron, she began chopping the vegetables when she heard a soft, tapping noise behind her.

Turning around, she saw Sasuke tapping the marbled kitchen counter looking bored as ever. "Fifteen degrees northeast of Konoha."

"Huh?" Sakura stared at him quite confused.

"Fifteen degrees…oh, I get it!" He was telling her the spot where they would be training. At first, she thought that he was giving some kind of orders to her like they are in a mission. "I'll follow!" Sakura called out to him before he disappeared from their doorway.

oOo

* * *

"What's with you today, Forehead?" Ino greeted as Sakura entered the Yamanaka flower shop. She eyed her from head to toe and asked, "We are dressed today, I see. Have a picnic with your dear husband?"

"Team 7 is going to have a picnic," corrected Sakura. Twirling her skirt, she inspected her reflection on the shop's glass windows and noted with concern. "Is the dress okay? I'm trying to wear some of my favourite clothes before my abdomen gets too big."

Ino poked a finger to her stomach. "Yeah, that's right. Look your baby bump is already showing."

Sakura placed a protective hand on her stomach. "I know. I'm starting my second trimester."

"Are you not supposed to be on the hospital today?"

"That's why I'm here," said Sakura. "Can I ask a favour from you?"

"No," said Ino immediately, turning her attention to the flower pots arranged on the cabinets.

Knowing that her blond friend is playing hard to get, Sakura pushed further. "Can you cover me up on the hospital?"

"Oh, so you are not reporting for work because you will be having some picnic and chitchat with your group?" Ino asked incredously.

"Yeah," admitted Sakura. "Don't worry; I'll make it up to you."

"No," huffed Ino.

"Please!"

"No," said Ino in a singsong voice.

Rummaging inside the picnic basket, Sakura took something and presented it to her. "Please!"

Ino scowled at her. "You surely brought that knowing that I won't say no to it."

Sakura grinned at her. "Is that a yes?"

Ino took the food from her and rolled her blue eyes, "Yeah."

"Thanks!" Sakura said happily. She had cooked Ino's favourite food because she had anticipated the fact that she would be playing hard to get and won't easily give to her request. She left the Yamanaka flower shop and walked excitedly eyeing the entrance gate of Konoha.

oOo

* * *

The familiar sound of metal clashing against another metal along with earth-shaking noises reverberated throughout the forest, making it easy for her to locate the source. Walking briskly, she dodged the branches of trees obscuring her way while mentally struggling whether she should walk like normal or use chakra on her feet and leapt into the trees so she can get to her destination faster. Deciding that there's no harm in doing the latter, Sakura immediately jumped to the branch of a nearby tree and focused some chakra to her feet to prevent her from slipping as she leapt from tree to tree.

The slicing noise of kunais became clearer and after a quarter of an hour, she sensed three familiar chakras and sped up. She stopped upon reaching a vast clearing that is almost half a kilometer wide in diameter and scattered with large boulders and trees.

"Yo! Sakura-chan!" Kakashi appeared beside her and ruffled her neatly combed hair.

"Kakashi-sensei! Don't ruin my hair!" Sakura groaned out and tried to comb it with her fingers.

Kakashi grinned at her scowling face and asked, "How's the little Uchiha?"

"I'm sorry?" Sakura blinked at him and frowned at Kakashi's pet name for Sasuke.

"I mean your child, Sakura."

"Oh," Sakura laughed at herself. "Good, I'm starting my second trimester."

"Aa, good."

She followed Kakashi towards a tall oak tree and sat on a large chequered blanket she had brought along. For a few minutes, they watched Naruto and Sasuke use weaker versions of their signature jutsus. Naruto jumped away from Sasuke's Chidori sword and paused to wave at them.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto called out to them.

Still holding the Chidori sword, Sasuke merely threw a look on her and attacked Naruto.

Sakura waved back at him and Sasuke although it was only Naruto who greeted her in return.

"Are you happy?"

Surprised at the Kakashi's question, Sakura turned to her former teacher. "What do you mean?"

Without taking his eye off on his Icha Icha Paradise Second Edition which he had read for the nth time already, Kakashi repeated his question. "Are you happy?"

"Well," Sakura thought for a few seconds before answering "Team 7 is reunited once again, Konoha is peaceful, I'm married and expecting a child and I have a promising career both as an Anbu and medic-nin. Tsunade even told me that she's considering to promote me as the assistant chief medic next year but that means I have to spend most of my time at the hospital. I still want to be an Anbu that's why-"

Kakashi cut her sentence with a dismissive wave of hand. "I'm not asking for a lengthy explanation. I'm just asking if you are happy. It's just a yes or no question, Sakura."

"Of course, yes, I am happy," said Sakura with no conviction in her voice at all. _I should be, right? I'm married to the man of my dreams, I'm expecting a child soon, Team 7 is complete and Konoha is peaceful. What else is missing in my life? _

Kakashi saw the sadness on her green eyes. Her actions speak louder than her words. "I have known you since you're twelve, Sakura. I've watched you grow and I can say that you are not happy as you say. You are lying."

Sakura bit her lower lip and did not say anything. Somehow Kakashi's words have struck something that she refused to acknowledge. She evaded Kakashi's visible eye which seemed to be boring right through hers and focused her attention to her toenails.

"Aa, I'm not really good at these things but I am merely expressing my observations and let's say opinion too," said Kakashi with a heavy sigh.

He was really surprised when Sasuke and Sakura decided to get married all of a sudden when he did not even see them dating like normal couples do. He knows that Sasuke still wanted to restore the Uchiha clan and while he was glad that it would be on the old-fashioned way, he thinks that it is unfair to use Sakura to fulfill that goal. Years ago when Sasuke was still an enemy of Konoha, he expressed his idea of reviving the Uchiha clan by wiping out everyone in Konoha to avenge the ordered massacre of the Uchiha clan. As Team 7, they understood and sympathized with what he was feeling but Sasuke's idea of destroying Konoha and its inhabitants as retribution for the erroneous actions of the higher-ups in the past is simply inhumane and irrational.

_"I finally... I finally got my first bit of revenge for Itachi. I killed one of the Konoha elders here... The one called __Danzō__. I've never felt anything like it. It's like the disgrace of the Uchiha clan is being cleansed. Like I'm separating the Uchiha clan from the rotten ninja world. You might even say it's what Konoha always wanted. You always repudiated the Uchiha clan, so now we will disappear from your memories just like you always wanted. When I kill everyone in Konoha! By severing the bond, we will be purified! That will be the true revival of the Uchiha clan!_"

"For Sasuke, you gave up your freedom and your future," began Kakashi. "To revive the Uchiha clan, Sasuke is expecting you to bear many future Uchiha children. And to do so, you would have to give up your promising career as a kunoichi and become a full-time housewife. He would be expecting you to be like the Uchiha women he had lived with before. Staying at home and taking care of the family."

"Why are you telling me all of this, sensei?"

"Aa," Kakashi scratched his chin thoughtfully. "I just want to know if you have thought about these things before jumping into marriage. And now that you know, what are you going to do?"

Sakura inwardly flinched as Kakashi's analyzations hit right through the point. She had agreed to the whole marriage thing without even thinking the future implications on her life. She was too blinded by her love to him that it did not matter to her the whys and what ifs.

"Oi, Sakura!"

There were no explanations or promises.

"Oi, Sakura!"

Her train of thoughts was suddenly interrupted by a boisterous Naruto. "Hey, you don't have to shout at me that loud. I'm not deaf, you know!"

"Ouch!" Naruto earned a hard, playful smack from Sakura. "You seem deep in thoughts. Is there any problem?"

Sakura caught Kakashi's single visible eye and looked away from Naruto. "Nothing, just inconsequential things."

"Okay," smiled Naruto. "I'm hungry! Can we eat now?"

Sakura rolled her eyes and started to take out the foods she had prepared. "Let's eat!"

Kakashi and Naruto sat on the blanket while Sasuke chose to sit a little farther from the three looking bored. For a split second, Sakura caught his eyes looking at her with a hint of curiosity and… concern?

She blinked and when she looked again, he was looking elsewhere and it had gone back to its bored expression.

She must have just imagined it.

oOo

* * *

"Aa, Sasuke. Focus," said Kakashi with a chuckle. He had cast a brief sideward glance at Naruto and Sakura, who were talking and laughing. It seemed that Naruto had cracked a joke that made Sakura burst into fits of laughter.

"Shut up," Sasuke's onyx eyes narrowed at Kakashi's obvious taunting. "Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu!"

A massive orb of red-orange flames spewed out from Sasuke's mouth and went directly to Kakashi. Sasuke paced up and unleashed his sword at Kakashi who jumped to a great distance to avoid the damage of the fireball technique.

Two kunais met Sasuke's sword. "They are having so much fun right now, isn't it?"

"I don't give a damn," replied Sasuke coldly. He channelled a lightning chakra into the whole length of the sword increasing its sharpness and cutting range.

"Hmm," murmured Kakashi trying to distract Sasuke. His kunais were no match for the lightning-enhanced sword and he needed to get away from it. "I have not seen Sakura laugh like that before. She seems so happy."

To compensate, Kakashi enhanced his kunais cutting range by infusing it with wind chakra. "By the way, mind if I ask you something?"

oOo

* * *

A loud explosion followed by a shower of dusts, leaves and rocks rained upon Naruto and Sakura. Immediately, they backed away and assumed a defensive stance.

"What was that?" Sakura asked Naruto loudly.

Not sensing any foreign chakra, Naruto relaxed and moved in front of Sakura. He pointed a finger towards the center which was still enveloped with a cloud of dust and brown air. "Nothing, I think Teme and Kakashi-sensei just got carried away."

Naruto was right. As the dust thinned, two figures became discernible.

"Sasuke! Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura and Naruto darted towards them.

With the Chidori still flashing and buzzing on Sasuke's right hand, Kakashi was lying next to what seem like the center of a large crater enough to fill a pond of water. Shock and relief was painted across Kakashi's face as he glanced at the hole beside his head.

Naruto and Sakura arrived and gaze around the crater around them.

"What happened?" Naruto asked the two curiously.

Kakashi stood up rather shakily and smiled at the two. "Yo!"

"Kakashi-sensei, you're hurt!" Sakura noted their sensei's bruised and bloody shoulder. She turned around to see if Sasuke was also injured.

"Sasuke, are you trying to kill Kakashi?" Sakura asked him.

Instead of responding, Sasuke turned his back at all of them and walked away.

"Sasuke," muttered Sakura. She wanted to follow him but it looked like that he was not in a good mood now. It would be better if she approached him later on when he had cooled down already. Deciding to inspect and heal Kakashi's injury, she ran a glowing hand on his left shoulder and inquired. "I need you to sit so I can assess your injury."

Kakashi followed her order and sat on the ground as Sakura started to run a glowing hand over his left shoulder.

"You were nearly hit by his Chidori," said Naruto with an expression of half-amusement and half-confusion. "Talking about being used with a technique you have taught to your student, right?"

"Good thing, you evaded it but still you did not escape the force of impact." Sakura finished healing Kakashi's injury and poked a finger at the site to test for pain.

Kakashi's did not flinch and just chortled. "I did not evade it. Sasuke missed it on purpose."

"Really?"

"What? Why?" Sakura asked surprised at this.

"He looked quite pissed off," added Naruto. "What happened?"

"We just had a small argument, that's all." Kakashi just smiled. He remembered Sasuke's words as the Chidori hit the ground beside his head. "_Stay out of it, Kakashi._"

He stood and rotated his left shoulder. "Thanks, Sakura for healing my injury and for the lunch, too."

Ruffling her hair, he gave off a small salute at the two of them and leapt away leaving the two alone.

"Ugh," Sakura groaned out loudly. So Sasuke was not really trying to kill Kakashi, they just had a misunderstanding which made Sasuke angry. She immediately accused him without hearing the whole story. She'll just apologize to him at home. Turning to Naruto, she said. "Let's go back."

"Wonder what made Sasuke pissed off?" Naruto asked loudly. "It couldn't be Kakashi is suggesting him to read his _Icha Icha_ books again. Hmmm..."

"I don't think so," replied Sakura. She picked up her picnic basket and started walking along side Naruto. She was pretty sure that their argument or conversation was something no as trivial as something like those perverted books which the late great Jiraiya had authored.

"Hey, you still have something inside there?" Naruto asked eyeing the picnic basket she was holding on her right arm.

Sakura rolled her eyes and opened the picnic basket to his face. "It's empty already. You ate the last rice ball, remember?"

Naruto made a disappointed face. "I'm hungry."

"You can't be hungry!" Sakura said in disbelief. "You have already eaten a lot."

"I don't know. Maybe Kyuubi absorbed the foods," Naruto grinned, referring to the nine-tailed beasts locked inside him. His relationship with the Kyuubi can be considered on the borderline of friendly and professional. Theirs was not the same with Killer Bee and its eight-tailed beast because sometimes he still experiences minor difficulties in controlling the Kyuubi especially on times when their opinions and motives do not jive.

"That's ridiculous," said Sakura.

"Believe me, I'm hungry again." True enough, his stomach growled and at the same time, a distant thunder roared. "It's going to rain."

Looking upwards, Sakura have noticed that big, thick clouds have started to form. "Let's hurry before it started to pour."

She sprinted to a run and started to jump from tree to tree when Naruto suddenly grabbed her arm and pulled her to a stop.

"What do you think are you doing?" Naruto frowned at her.

"I'm running so we can make it on Konoha gates before it rains. Furthermore, the main entrance is just a few kilometres away and we can reach it in five minutes if we sprint," replied Sakura in a matter of fact tone. Like other hidden villages, Konoha can only be reached through conventional means of transportation like walking, running or using typical modes of transportation ( ex. Horses, donkeys). One cannot just teleport right inside it for the village boundaries are protected with special jutsu that disables any intruder or even its residents to just get inside it. However, powerful shinobis can easily disable it and enter the village like Nagato and Madara Uchiha. But once inside the village, a person can teleport anywhere within.

"I mean why are you running? You are pregnant! Pregnant women are not supposed to run like that," said Naruto in a stern tone.

"Oh," said Sakura. "I'm just on my second trimester so there's no need to worry."

"Tsk, tsk," murmured Naruto.

In a swift move that surprised Sakura, Naruto picked her up and carried her on his arms and dashed from tree to tree.

"Naruto, what are you doing?" Sakura asked horrified. "Let me down!"

"No."

"Why? I told you it's no big deal. I know my body more than you and I can tell you confidently that it won't have any effect on my pregnancy status," convinced Sakura trying to get away from Naruto. "So let me down!"

"No," said Naruto defiantly. "What if you suddenly bleed along way here? That would be pretty scary. I don't have any medical knowledge or skills to help you if that happens. Besides, I don't want Sasuke to blame me someday if your child becomes dumb from all the bumps and jumps you'll do if I allowed you. So stop moving and once we get inside Konoha, I promise to let you down."

Sakura was at a loss for words after hearing Naruto's explanation. It was not true of course. The miscarriage is possible if only she over exerted herself and have travelled long distances. But the "dumb baby" part is pretty funny and at the same time, silly. She had never heard or read news about a baby becoming dumb if the mother jumped, hopped or galloped during pregnancy.

Yet, she decided to just let Naruto carry her because she was touched by his concern for her. She need not be embarrassed because he is her closest male friend and he was just doing it to make sure that her pregnancy would be safe and sound. Naruto is someone she could count on to through thick or thin. He's like a huge umbrella anyone can go under whether it rains or shines. He was one rare, true gem of a friend.

"Fine," she just said as Naruto sped through the forest like a bullet, straight, fast and smooth.

oOo

* * *

Laughter.

Two familiar voices brimming with laughter were heard outside the house.

"Thanks," said Sakura. "That was fun especially when my head bumped into branches."

"Hey, that's not my fault," said Naruto defensively. "I told you to keep your head down but you keep popping your head."

Sakura was about to reply when a flash of lightning struck the sky followed by a roar of thunder. Then, as predicted, the rain started to pour.

"I'd better go inside. Want to have some tea?" Sakura slid open the gate and went under the roof of the veranda.

"Hinata's waiting for me," said Naruto.

"Okay," shrugged Sakura. "Say hi from me."

She bid him goodbye and entered the house. After removing her sandals, she trudged inside the house and found Sasuke on the kitchen, quietly sipping a black steaming tea. He did not even throw a glance at her when she joined him on the table.

"You left us there," she said casually as she sat opposite him. "What happened?"

"Nothing."

"It's not nothing. You got angry after your sparring with Kakashi and you left," she said curiously.

"I said it's nothing," Sasuke emphasized.

Sakura frowned and continued. "Kakashi said that you two have had a small argument. He did not tell us what it is and left after I healed his injury."

Gritting his teeth, Sasuke said, "Leave it. It's none of your concern."

"It is! I'm your wife!"

Sasuke slammed hard the drinking cup on the table that it shattered into pieces, the steaming black liquid spreading out across the table. "I married you but that does not mean that you have the right to meddle in everything I do! Stop being meddlesome!"

Then, he left the kitchen.

Stunned, Sakura stared at the broken pieces and puddle of black tea on the table. She did not move nor make a sound. She continued to be immobile until the warm black liquid reached the edge of the table and started to drop on her lap. She jumped form her seat and hastily grabbed a cloth to wipe the table. Next, she scooped out the broken pieces of the porcelain cup and threw it on the waste bin. Not contented, she took another piece of cloth and wiped the table again. She mopped the floor then cleaned the table again as if she could pretend that nothing happened.

Unknowingly, her tears started to fall on the table and she wiped it away with the cloth on her hand. Wiping her tears with the back of her hand, she forcefully tried to stop the continuous flow of tears coming from her eyes. Her mind tells her to stop but she could not do it. Her eyes won't cooperate with what her brain is ordering it to do.

Surrendering, she just allowed the tears to come out and she slumped to the floor and cried.

oOo

* * *

The soft tapping of the rain against the roof evoked a sense of relaxation to his troubled mind. He closed his eyes and massaged his temples as he hears her soft sobbing coming from across the kitchen.

It was inevitable.

He knew that she was going to ask him what had transpired at the clearing. Yet, she asked the question at the wrong time. He can not deny her observation that he really got pissed off this afternoon. Knowing that he is in a bad mood already, she should have not tried to pry the reason behind it. She was becoming that annoying twelve-year old Sakura again, asking questions repeatedly not until he answers.

"Do you even love her?" Kakashi asked during their sparring/training session.

Kakashi's question immediately grated his nerves. What kind of useless question to ask, he thought angrily. Kakashi was referring to Sakura of course and it seems that he is very concern with her welfare. Before the wedding, Kakashi was skeptical and had expressed his disapproval to both of them. Yet, in the end, he did not do anything to break off the wedding and had even obliged to be the principal godparent upon Sakura's request.

"No," he answered Kakashi.

Kakashi shook his head sadly as if he knew his answer already. "Then you should let her go."

This advice really made him angry. For him, Kakashi had no right to give him advices or lectures. Since after the Uchiha massacre, he had been used to living alone and deciding for himself. And in the first place, he did not force Sakura. He asked and she agreed.

After the Fourth Great Shinobi World War, he decided to return and stay in Konoha. For years, he lived in solitude within the desolate Uchiha grounds, going out only for the assigned missions the Godaime had given to him. His constant companions were Naruto, Kakashi and Sakura, who usually visit him almost everyday. For years, he continued to live alone until he made up his mind that he wanted to revive the Uchiha clan once again.

Granting that his first plan of reviving the Uchiha clan was to destroy Konoha failed, he opted to do the old-fashioned way. That is to produce heirs. Being the sole living Uchiha, he does not want the great Uchiha bloodline to be extinct when he dies someday. The Sharingan bloodline should continue to the next generation. This forced him to find a wife and marry. He wanted to have heirs and he knew that children don't just spring out from a single individual. He needed a female who would carry and produce the heirs he wanted.

That's when he chose Sakura.

He could have chosen other women but he picked up Sakura because he had known her since they were twelve years old and to choose a total stranger would be difficult and more uncomfortable for him. Besides, he knows that she still has strong feelings for him judging by her almost daily visits to his house during those past few years. And he was right about it; she immediately agreed the moment he asked her without even inquiring or wondering why he had proposed out of the blue. He did not want her to hope or expect so he informed her that the main reason he asked her is because he wanted to revive his clan. He thought that she would back out but she did not.

As a sign of respect, he informed her parents and they consented. At first, they were quite surprised because Sakura have not presented anyone to them personally for the past few years. Apparently, they had seen her date some guys years ago but it did not came to a point where Sakura would introduce those guys to them.

There were no long wedding preparations because a day after he went to her parent's house, they went to Tsunade and got married. Few people were invited, mostly on Sakura's part like her parents, Ino, Chouji and Shikamaru. In fact, he learned that she invited all of their friends. Well, _HER _friends not _HIS_ ortunately, the two groups were out on a mission. He even got angry that day because of the people she had invited. The only ones they had agreed to were Team 7, her parents and Yamanaka Ino but not Shikamaru and Chouji.

Footsteps.

Light footsteps echoed against the wooden floor caught his attention. He sprang to his feet and went inside the house to see what she is up to.

"What are you up to?" Sasuke asked in a sarcastic tone. He followed her to the entrance of the house where she took the sandals she had just worn.

Sakura ignored his question and started to put on her sandals.

Irked that she ignored him, he grabbed her arm roughly and pulled her to face him. "You are not leaving the house," he said in a cold voice.

"Let me go!" Sakura shouted and tried to pull her arm free from his clamp-like grip. "You're already hurting me!"

Instead of releasing his grip on her, Sasuke dragged her towards the receiving room when he felt something. He leapt away just as Sakura was about to punch him on the face. The blow hit the wall dividing the receiving room and the dining room. Spider-like cracks spread from the point of impact then the wall collapsed into heaps of concrete.

"You wish to fight me?" Sasuke asked in a cool, sarcastic voice and he looked at her from head to toe as if assessing her.

"No," replied Sakura in a high-pitched voice that seems to be in verge of tears again. She forced to blink back the tears and tried to muster whatever dignity and respect she still has. In a cold, hard voice she continued, "Whatever I do and wherever I go is none of your concern. And just because I married you does not mean that you also have the right to meddle in everything I do."

Sakura turned back from him, walked to the entrance and slipped on her sandals.

Stunned at her statement, he just stared at her form as she finished slipping on her sandals. She had used his words against him.

Involuntarily, he felt his arm move and reach out to her as if it wanted to stop her. But he as soon as he regained from his astonishment, he dropped down his arm to his side and he just watched as Sakura opened her umbrella and leave the house in the middle of dark, stormy night.

oOo

* * *

A/N: I'll try to update the next chapter as soon as possible. Hopefully, before the month of November ends.

PLEASE REVIEW!


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Thank you for the reviews! It really encourages me to keep writing! : )

oOo

* * *

**Chapter 6**

Ino stirred the soup clockwise before taking a taste. Thinking that it needs more seasoning, she sprinkled some salt and pepper and stirred it again. She closed the pot and lowered the heat of the stove. A series of loud knocks coming from the receiving room caught her attention. Thinking that it could be Shikamaru, she removed her apron and dashed to the front door.

She immediately opened the door and cried out in surprise. "Shika - Oh, its you Sakura! Wait, what happened to you?"

Holding an umbrella while crying, Sakura asked. "May I stay here just for tonight?"

"Of course, come in." Ino pulled her inside and led her towards the kitchen table and gave her a glass of water.

"Okay, relax first," Ino instructed as Sakura gulped the offered drink. She gave Sakura another glass and gradually, her friend's crying was reduced to hiccups.

"It's Uchiha Sasuke, right?" Ino muttered in a know-it-all voice. Sakura did not respond but stiffened at the mention of his name. "He's the only one who can make you cry like that."

"Can I have more water, please?" Sakura asked. Downing her third glass of water, she shook her head.

"You want some more? I'll give you a jug if you ask," said Ino in a joking manner.

"No," said Sakura. "You have some wine or beer there?"

"Are you serious?" Ino asked with a raised brow.

"Yeah," affirmed Sakura.

"Okay." Ino rummaged inside the kitchen cabinet and took out a bottle of sake. She poured it on a small cup and placed it in on the table.

"Thanks," said Sakura hiccupping. She took the cup and was about to drink it when Ino snatched it away from her hand. "Hey!"

"This is mine," grinned Ino as she drank the sake. "You're pregnant, silly."

"A little amount won't hurt," Sakura countered and reached out for the bottle.

"Oops, no," said Ino in surprise. She moved away from her and placed the bottle of sake back inside the cabinet. Turning to her pink-haired friend, she shook her head sadly. "It won't solve your problem, Forehead. Besides, you're risking the health of your unborn child."

Sakura did not say anything and lowered her head to avoid Ino's pity looks. She felt stupid for risking the health of the child inside her yet, she felt like she wanted to do something reckless. She wanted to get drunk so she can forget the pain she's feeling at the moment.

"Here, have some." Ino placed a bowl of soup in front of her. "It's better."

Together, the two bestfriends-turned-rivals-turned-bestfriends-again ate in silence punctuated by Sakura's occasional sniffs and hiccups.

Lowering her spoon, Ino pause to eat and looked at her in an assessing way. "Honestly, you look like a total mess. Not just a mess but an awful mess."

"Oh shut up, Ino-pig. As if you look pretty when you cry," countered Sakura angrily.

"I'm just joking," grinned Ino. "Now that's the Sakura I know."

Ino's mischievous face was suddenly replaced with a serious look. "Kidding aside, Forehead, what happened? It's okay if you choose not to divulge it; I'll respect your decision. I'm just here."

Sakura began playing with her soup, stirring it like something would come out that would solve her problem. "I just can't understand him." She gave out a sigh that bordered on loneliness and exhaustion. "I'm just concerned with him but he got angry when I inquired about it. Is that wrong?" She turned to Ino, her green eyes asking.

"You know him better than I do, Sakura," Ino replied. "I can't say it's your fault because you said you just asked him and we can't blame Sasuke either for we don't know his side. And I doubt it if we'll ever get the reason why he got angry at you. I guess it's the circumstances."

Sakura frowned at her.

Ino gave a shrug. "I don't know maybe you just happened to ask the wrong question or you caught him in the wrong time or it could be both."

"You think so?"

"I'm just guessing."

Sakura's shoulders went forlorn as she ate the soup Ino had given to her while thinking about the whole day. She woke up and asked him if she could join them and he agreed. The lunch with Team 7 was okay. It just seemed to go downhill right after Sasuke had sparred with Kakashi. He looked really angry and had not even bothered to explain what happened. Later on, she pressed him for an explanation and that's when his anger exploded out at her. Does that mean that it is her fault then? She was just trying to ask him so she could understand and comfort him for whatever it was troubling him. But it turned out to be the wrong thing to do.

Knowing Sasuke's nature to keep things to himself, she had pressed him to explain when it seemed clear that he was already in a bad mood and he did not want to. She was forcing herself to step inside an invisible line that divides her from him. An invisible line that is out of bounds to her and to the rest of the world, a place where he houses his thoughts and emotions he does not want to share.

"You know what, I still can't believe that you are married and pregnant right now," said Ino suddenly. "Yet, in a way, I was also expecting it."

"Huh?" Sakura asked, quite confused at Ino's contradicting statement.

"Well, you were the first in our batch to get married and pregnant. To think that many are considering that you are the strongest kunoichi next to the Godaime," said Ino in an envious tone. Then, her voice changed again back to its haughty and cheerful one. "But I don't believe them; I still think that I'm better than you."

"Che," muttered Sakura, rolling her eyes at Ino. Like Naruto and Sasuke, the two of them were forever rivals who would never admit that one is better than the other.

"But after Uchiha Sasuke had returned to Konoha, I knew from that point that you are not going to let him go out of your clutches again."

"Hey, you're making me sound like I'm a witch!" Sakura accused.

Ino laughed and waved off a hand at her face. "I did not mean to make it sound like that. What I mean is, you would never let him leave Konoha again and I have a feeling that you would throw everything you have just to be with him. I just did not expect it to be that fast, you know. I haven't seen you date like other couples do. One day, you just appeared on my doorstep, inviting me to be your maid of honor."

"I know. Everyone was just as surprised like you." Sakura smiled at the memory of seeing Ino's stunned face as she announced the news that she's going to get married to none other than Uchiha Sasuke. "I'm really happy when he decided to stay here for good because Team 7 would be reunited once again. I admit that I still love him but I did not really expect him to return the feelings, I'm just happy and contented that he is back with us."

"But he loves you that's why he married you!" Ino squealed.

Sakura smiled a bitter one. Neither Ino nor Naruto know the circumstances why Sasuke and she decided to get married. It was all for convenience on his part. He wanted to revive his clan and he needed to do it properly with someone who would stand as an Uchiha matriarch who would bear future Uchiha children. It was really sad on her part because she had been dreaming that someday that someday Sasuke would learn to love her and ask her hand for marriage. But it turned out to be the other way around. The marriage got to be the first one and the learning-to-love part would remain as a dream that she hope would happen. Nevertheless, she agreed because she saw it as an opportunity and as a fulfillment of a dream. She just considered herself lucky that Sasuke chose her for his plans and not just random woman, for it would surely break her heart if she got to see the day he would be marrying someone else.

A sharp knock on the door was heard. Ino immediately stood up. "I'll answer it. It's Shikamaru."

And she disappeared from the kitchen and she heard Ino open the door and angrily asked Shikamaru why he was late.

"I was busy," Shikamaru's reply became clearer as he entered the apartment.

Sakura heard their approaching footsteps and tried her best to look her normal self. "Hi, Shikamaru."

"Hey," Shikamaru greeted cordially as he took a seat on the table.

"Sakura stooped by the flower shop and I invited her for a small chat," supplied Ino before Shikamaru could ask anything.

Shikamaru shrugged indifferently. He looked at the wall clock and frowned at the time. "It's still raining and it's getting quite late. We'll just fetch you home later if you like."

Sakura's tensed but Ino immediately went to her rescue. "Oh, I forgot Sakura's staying here for tonight."

Sakura relaxed at Ino's wink. She smiled at her. She just don't want to return home yet.

* * *

Shikamaru caught the small exchange between the two and even though he does not understand women very much, he is a keen observant on people's actions. Sakura went all tensed and rigid when he suggested that he and Ino would fetch her home. It seemed that Sakura does not want to go home.

Why?

Then, it clicked to him. Could it be that Sasuke and Sakura are not in good terms right now? That must be the reason why she went all tensed at his suggestion. And from what he could see, she turned to Ino for help. Well, there's no problem with that but he has to remind Ino that even though she is Sakura's best friend, she must know where to stand and avoid meddling on people's domestic affairs. Considering Ino, she was quite nosy and loves to interfere with other people's lives.

"Here," Ino shove a bowl of steaming soup on him.

"What's this?"

"Can't you see it's a soup?" Ino replied irritatingly as if what she had cooked was something unrecognizable and unfit for humans to eat.

He tasted it and added in a joke which he realized later on was the wrong thing to say. "I thought it's a porridge!"

Shikamaru laughed at his own joke and was about to take another spoon when Ino grabbed the spoon and bowl away from him. "Hey!"

oOo

* * *

"-dare you insult my cooking when I've painstakingly cooked it-"

"-left my paper works at the Hokage office just to become a soup taster?"

"Then, you should not have bothered going here!"

Smelling that a squabble is about to ensue between the two, Sakura decided to leave the two than to be caught between their shouting match. "Uh, hey, guys, I'm leaving."

But it seemed neither of the two heard what she had said because their voices were now escalating to high decibels which Sakura had been too familiar to hear.

_Oh_, thought Sakura in amazement as she left the kitchen inconspicuously. Neither of the two noticed that Sakura had already left the kitchen and was on her way to the door. Sakura took out a piece of paper sitting on wooden cabinet and scribbled a thank you note to Ino. Then, she opened the door and left the Yamanaka Ino's apartment.

Even outside, she could hear snatches of their quarrel.

She would not be surprised if Ino would tell her the next day that she and Shikamaru had broken up because she was sure, that in just few days, she would be seeing the two again together. If her memory serves her right, Ino and Shikamaru had been dating each other exclusively for almost a year already. She had lost count of the times the two broke up. It seemed like a week would not pass wherein the two would not bicker about something. They would break off then get back together after a few days. It's almost like a normal cycle for them.

Opening her umbrella, Sakura stood outside Ino's house, not knowing where to go. She could not go to her parent's house. That's out of the question because for sure, they would berate her for agreeing to marry urgently. She would prove to them that she's responsible for her decisions.

Naruto. For sure he would get worried and would try to patch them up. Besides, he had said earlier after he dropped her home that he's going to meet Hinata. She don't want to ruin their date with her problems.

Guess she has no choice but to rent a room for the night.

oOo

* * *

Sasuke rolled to the other side of the bed for the nth time. For a few minutes, he remained immobile. Then, he opened his eyes and bolted upright, bringing his hands on his face. He gave out a sheer sigh of frustration. No matter how much he tried to force his eyes shut, he can't do it.

He just can't sleep.

He grabbed the small clock sitting at the bedside table and noted with a groan that it was almost two in the morning. It means he had been trying to sleep unsuccessfully for several hours. Deciding that it would be futile if he force his self to sleep, Sasuke stood and left the bedroom. Without opening the lights, he made his way towards the kitchen and grabbed a glass of water and gulped it one drink then went back to bed. He wondered what's preventing him from sleeping.

He had always been a light sleeper because of two reasons: first, he is a shinobi; second, the tragedies that he had experienced. As a shinobi, they have been used to sleeping for short hours. On missions, even though they sleep at night, they are always on their guard, their senses active for possible enemy attacks. The latter reason was borne out of the traumatic events in his life.

After the Uchiha massacre thirteen years ago, he never had a good sleep. He remembered his nine year old self waking up in the middle of the night, sweating, crying and screaming for his parents. Then, after he had calmed down, he would start cursing his brother Itachi, hating him and vowing to avenge the slaughter of their clan someday. For several years, he had to endure the nightmares. Every night, the massacre was relived inside his head like a video tape played over and over again. The images were forever etched in his mind: the blood everywhere, his parent's corpses lying in front of him and Itachi's cold eyes.

_"You've always wanted to surpass me. That's why I'm going to let you live... if you wish to kill me, then hate me, despise me... and by all means flee, cling to your wretched life."_

He thought that he after he had killed his brother; he would finally live in peace with himself. After he had learned the truth of the Uchiha massacre and Itachi's true role, his hatred was revived. Uchiha Madara revealed to Sasuke the "truth" of Itachi, that he killed his clan by orders from Konoha, how he joined Akatsuki to make sure the elders didn't forget him, and how in the end his only goal was to keep his village, and his brother safe. And that everything he had done was to make sure Sasuke grew strong. He was crushed by the realization that Itachi had been a kind and good brother to him all along and everything he did was for the sake of his little brother.

_"Forgive me Sasuke... ...It ends with this"_

His blind hatred had sucked him into an abyss of darkness.

_"I have long since closed my eyes... My only goal is the darkness_._"_

But it was Naruto who pulled him from the deep pits of hatred and darkness when he thought himself that he was hopeless. He was like a long, lost brother. An obnoxious and stubborn brother who refused to give up on him.

Kakashi became sort of like a father figure to him while Sakura was like a lamp that guided him out of the darkness, a warm and comforting aura that reminded him strongly of his mother.

Sakura.

He wondered idly where she is staying as of the moment. If he guessed it right, she could be staying at her parents' house, Naruto's or at Yamanaka's house. He wondered further if she is having difficulty sleeping like him.

He looked at the empty side of the bed where she usually sleeps and somehow, he felt…uncomfortable.

Could it be that the reason he's having difficulty sleeping right now is because of her absence?

_No_, he immediately shook his head at the stupid reason. Brushing the thoughts aside, he pulled the blanket, closed his eyes and forced his self to sleep.

oOo

* * *

"Don't overexert yourself, Sakura-san."

"Yeah, thanks," said Sakura. "Bye." She waved back to her fellow medic-nin and walked away.

Sakura yawned involuntarily and stretched her arms. It had been an exhausting day at the hospital. A group of injured chuunins coupled with some civilians with random medical complaints poured in, demanding medical care. Some of the medics were out in the field so she had no choice but to extend some overtime.

Her feet walked faster as her mind drifter to things she wanted to do once she got home. A nice, warm bath; a bowl of dumplings and black tea then she would sleep afterwards together with-

She stopped in her tracks as she realized the train of her thoughts and the direction of her feet.

Did she just think of going home? To the apartment she shares with Sasuke?

"_No_," she bit her lower lip. She's not yet ready to face him nor talk to him. She needs more time to think so she can prepare herself emotionally and physically. Perhaps, tomorrow would be a good one when both of them are relaxed.

"_Yeah, tomorrow I'll talk to him_." She turned around and took a left turn on the next street. Opening her purse, she noted with dismay the amount of money left. In her emotional outburst the other day, she immediately left the house with nothing but her purse and an umbrella. She had been so busy at the hospital today that she was not able to go to the local bank and withdraw some money.

"Sakura-chan!"

The all-too-familiar loud, obnoxious voice drew her attention from the pavement. She looked up and greeted in return. "Naru-"

The name was not completed as she caught sight of the person walking beside Naruto. _For heaven's sake! Of all people, why does it have to be him?_

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto called again and ran towards her. Sasuke was left a few feet behind walking with his usual bored face.

"_What am I going to do?" _She thought panickedly as Naruto jogged to her direction. She's not yet ready to face him after what happened yesterday. Suddenly, her heart began thumping hard inside her chest and her breath became fast.

"_Relax!" _Inner Sakura giggled obviously excited.

"_Okay, 1, 2, 3. Relax."_ she told herself. She took three deep breaths and forced herself to relax as Naruto stopped a few feet in front of her. She placed a fake smile on her face as she greeted Naruto. "Hey."

"Let's go to Ichiraku!" Naruto suggested and immediately grabbed her wrist. "Teme's already agreed to have some ramen for dinner."

"Sorry but-"

Ignoring her suppose-to-be-excuse, Naruto only walked faster. They turned to another alley and soon, the restaurant became visible to them. "No more buts! Let's hurry!"

oOo

* * *

Keeping his expression impassive, Sasuke listened to Naruto's chatter with mild interest. The blonde was recounting his date with the Hyuuga girl the last night. Sakura was listening Naruto with her full attention as if determined to pretend that he did not exist at all. Well, if she wanted to pretend that he did not exist then he will let her.

"After we ate and the bill was given, I took my wallet but it was gone!" Naruto recounted with such enthusiasm.

"What happened? Did the two of you wash the dishes afterwards?" Sakura asked.

"Nope," grinned Naruto. He rubbed the back of his head and replied in a whisper, "Hinata paid for our meals."

Giving him a playful hard slap on the back of the head, Sakura berated him like a mother hen. "What? You made a girl pay for your date? That's very ungentlemanly, Naruto."

Massaging the back of his head, Naruto replied embarrassingly. "I told you I lost my wallet."

Rolling her eyes at his dumbness, Sakura sighed. "You're lucky Hinata's such a good one because if I were her, I would have walked out a long time ago."

"Yeah, I'm really lucky coz if it were you-"

"Care to finish that sentence, Naruto?" Sakura asked sweetly, every word dripping with venom.

Unperturbed, Naruto continued. "-If it were you, uh, well, you're pretty violent. You're like a madman sometimes."

"How dare you compare me to madman!"

"Oops!" Naruto jumped in time to avoid another one of Sakura's "playful" punch. He took a seat on Sasuke's left side, leaving an empty seat between Sasuke and Sakura.

Sakura stopped and glared at Naruto. She looked at the empty seat between her and Sasuke. Their eyes met for a brief second then she looked away immediately and returned to her seat, a chair away from him.

"Here's your ramen." The cook gave them their respective orders: a special jumbo ramen for Naruto, beef for Sasuke and seafood for her. She winked at Sakura, "I have added some dumplings on Sakura because I heard you're pregnant. Congratulations, my dear!"

"Oh, thank you," said Sakura blushing.

"Hey, how about me?" Naruto held his bowl in front of her as if waiting for it to be added with some toppings.

The lady cook shook her head. "Sakura-san is eating for two. She needs nutrients."

Suddenly, a mischievous grin was plastered on Naruto's face. "Hey, I'm also eating for two."

The cook stopped and stared at him, obviously appalled at this statement. "I'm sorry? You're not telling me you are also pregnant, are you?"

Sasuke and Sakura instantly realized what Naruto's answer would be.

Naruto's mischievous grin grew even wider as he answered, "No, I'm not pregnant. I'm also eating for two, I have Kyuu-"

"Naruto!" Sakura gave him a glare that stopped the fox-faced boy from continuing his "joke."

Still calm, Sasuke elbowed Naruto hard on the ribs and whispered. "Shut up, dobe."

If looks could kill, Naruto would be probably be dead by now judging the angry stares he's receiving from his two teammates. "Okay, okay. Gomen."

The cook looked at the three of them with confusion, not understanding the simultaneous exchange of glares and hidden messages.

Realizing that someone needs to speak for it, Sakura took the initiative and smiled at the woman. "Naruto means cute worms inside his intestines. He's not really hygienic, you know."

"Oh," the woman exclaimed in surprise. Then, as if an idea occurred to her, she said. "Enjoy your meals." She immediately left them and disappeared behind the kitchen. Sakura sworn she heard the woman muttered something about "disinfectants" on her way to the kitchen.

"Hey, I don't have worms in my intestines!" Naruto whispered angrily. "Because of what you said, they might not let me avail discounts or worse, they might not let me eat here again."

After making sure that the cook was out of ear shot and nobody was within hearing range, Sakura turned to Naruto. It was really hard to focus her eyes on Naruto with Sasuke being in the middle of them. "Kyuubi? You think it's funny?"

"It's just a joke, Sakura!"

"The villagers still have not forgotten the last war," reminded Sakura. The Fourth Great Shinobi War was still vivid in her mind as if it was just yesterday. It was chaotic, everyone was in panic, there was blood and dead bodies everywhere, enemy-nins attacking and killing shinobis and villagers and the monstrous bijous destroying the village.

"Drop it off," said Sasuke in his quiet, authoritative voice.

Sakura was about to say something but chose to close her mouth. She forgot that Sasuke was still pretty sensitive with his past affiliations. For unknown reasons, he betrayed Uchiha Madara during the height of attack and helped in defending the village. Yet, some of the villagers still think that he did not deserve the pardon given by the Hokage.

"Let's eat!" Naruto exclaimed glad for the drop of topic. "_Itaedekamasu!"_

"Hmpf." Sakura grabbed a pair of chopsticks on the container near Sasuke's side when her hand accidentally brushed the back of Sasuke's hand, who in turn was also about to get a pair of chopsticks. She gasped out loud and instantly removed her hand as if electrocuted.

Unfortunately, Naruto noticed this and frowned. While slurping the noodles, he asked the two. "Hey, issomethinwong?"

As if nothing happened, Sasuke simply ignored Naruto's question and started eating his ramen.

"Nothing," said Sakura feeling quite embarrassed at her reaction. From the corner of her eyes, Sasuke was eating calmly, unaffected and here she was, acting weird just because of mere physical hand contact.

Starting now, she would practice learning the art of nonchalance.

* * *

The light post in the corner of the street illuminated Naruto's form as the blonde waved at them enthusiastically. They were standing in front of their apartment which they have passed after eating at the Ichiraku Ramen. Naruto dropped them off and left, heading to his own house which is still a few blocks away.

The cool night air blew against the dark surroundings, bringing forth mixed scents of flowers, leaves and water. Sakura kept rubbing her arms, trying to make her body warm against the chilly environment. A sudden urge to pull her into his arms came to his mind. Then, he remembered that they were still not in good terms and he immediately brushed the idea away.

Standing a few feet in front of him, Sakura watched Naruto disappeared from the corner of the street and remained in her position, as if she did not want to turn behind and see him. What is she going to do now that they are all alone? Would she still pretend like everything is okay or will she make the first talk? Is she going to sleep on the apartment tonight or walk away and spend her night somewhere else?

Well, he would not ask her nor wait for her decision. He slid the gate open and marched towards the door. From his peripheral vision, he saw that Sakura turned around at the sound of the gate and looked at the house as if unsure whether to enter or not. He turned the door knob and pushed the door open. To his surprise, Sakura walked past him just as he opened the door and she hurried inside. Without even looking at him, Sakura held her head high and turned left towards the direction of the bedroom. It's as if she wanted to remind him that the apartment is also _her_ house and she has every right in it as much as he does.

_Conjugal property_, he nearly forgot about that thing.

Closing the door, he went straight to the kitchen and poured a tea. He wondered if he should sleep on the bed too now that Sakura came back. It would seem rather…awkward. Yet, he does not want to sleep on the floor when there's a bed available. Well then, if she started making fuss about it, he would remind her about conjugal property.

He has every right to sleep in that bed too whether she likes it or not.

oOo

* * *

Sakura paused by the bedroom door, her ears all perked up, listening for footsteps and movements on the other side. After five minutes, she decided that he must be in the other parts of the house.

"_Well, good. At least I'll have the bed on my own,"_ she thought with a chuckle.

Without opening the lights, she went to the bed and laid with her arms spread-eagled. The, she rolled from side to side, basking in the softness of the bed cushions and the silkiness of the sheets. She grabbed a pillow and buried her face into it, allowing sleep to envelope. Then, she suddenly remembered that she had not showered yet.

Lazily, she stood up, grabbed a pair of pajamas from inside the cabinet and made her way towards the adjoining bathroom and started removing her clothes one by one. She stepped into the tub, adjusted the water thermostat and turned the knob into full blast. A rain of warm water started pouring into her head like small needles cascading into a rock.

Closing her eyes, she allowed the tepid water drenched her from head to toe. Putting a moderate amount of shampoo on her palms, she lathered it through her hair, massaging her scalp down to the roots of her hair. Her hair may not be as long and straight as Ino's blonde one but at least, hers is soft and low-maintenance.

Next, she sat on the tub and started washing her body with a shower gel, scrubbing the grime and blood she had gotten from the hospital. The shower gel mixed with water began forming bubbles on the surface like ocean foams. Absentmindedly, she stared at the bubbles and played with it letting the minutes passed by as her mind drifted to things she had been pondering about.

Throughout their dinner at the Ichiraku Ramen until now, she did not even speak to Sasuke. Well, neither did he. It's as if both of them were pretending that the other does not exist. It was a good thing that Naruto did not notice the silent war going on between her and Sasuke. They must resolve this on their own…if it's going to be resolved. With the way things are going, if neither of them is going to initiate, nothing's going to be resolved. She's pretty sure that Sasuke would not make the first move. He believes that he's always the right one.

Arrogant bastard.

"I'm tired," she sighed. She had enough of thinking about Sasuke, his pride and their problem. What she needed right now is a good sleep.

She removed the plug from the tub and slowly, the water drained. She stood up and turned the water to rinse her body.

Perhaps if things would not work out until this week, she must initiate the move. She needs not to plan; she would just let things to roll out spontaneously.

Across from her, she heard something creaked. Like a door being opened. She turned to her left and saw Sasuke standing with a mild expression of surprise, his hand still on the doorknob. For a split second, their eyes held each other. Then, he broke the eye connection, raised his brow in a somewhat bored and amused expression and travelled his eyes from her head down to her feet. She followed his gaze and realized in horror her physical exposure.

"GET OUT!" Like a shuriken, she grabbed a bottle of shampoo and threw it at him with such speed and force she had not used in months. She immediately covered her breasts and crouched down, glaring at him.

"What the f-" Thanks to his fast reflexes, Sasuke caught the flying bottle of shampoo. Because of the speed and force on which it was thrown, the plastic container of the shampoo cracked and the white liquid started to streaked across his palms. Immediately, Sasuke threw the broken bottle to the trash can located under the sink and washed his hands. After that, he looked at her crouched position and said in a business-like voice. "Next time, lock the door."

Subsequently, he turned around and closed the door.

"As if I have not seen it before," Sakura heard him mutter before the door closed.

_As if I have not seen it before?_

The nerve of that Uchiha!

She glared at the door with such intensity that it could have bored hole right through it.

"He's right," piped Inner Sakura. "You two had made love before. Stop acting like you're still a virgin."

In contrast to the anger she's feeling at the moment, Inner Sakura seemed to enjoy what happened earlier. Her alter ego was now performing a seductive dance number.

"Shut up!" Sakura mentally scolded Inner Sakura. "I still have some dignity left, you know."

Inner Sakura stopped dancing, glared at her and shuffled towards a dark corner, grumbling under her breath, "Prude."

Sakura rinsed her body thoroughly and dried it afterwards. Next, she donned her pajamas and wrapped a towel around her dripping hair. She left the bathroom and sat next to her personalized bedroom cabinet and mirror and rummaged for a blow dryer.

Upon removing the towel around her hair, she faced the mirror and was about to start drying her hair when she saw something unpleasant on the mirror. She turned around and looked questioningly at the person sleeping on the bed.

Without even looking at Sakura, Sasuke replied to her questioning look in a matter-of-fact attitude. "I sleep here."

Sakura opened her mouth to say something but she can't find anything to retort to his answer. Instead, she closed her mouth and turned her irritation to the blow dryer, drying her hair roughly. Because her hair was short, it dried easily and after brushing it, she returned the hair dryer back inside the drawer and crept to the futon. She turned to her right, her anterior body facing the open window and pulled the covers which only reached to her waist.

Not contented, she moved to the edge of the bed, creating as much space possible between her and Sasuke and tried to wrench the blanket more to her side.

oOo

* * *

The bedroom was dark with only the moonlight sifting through the leaves and branches just outside the open window as the only source of illumination, creating a large shadow of an old man's gnarled hand against the cream-colored walls. It was relatively quiet; the rustling of the leaves against the crisp night air and the chirping of crickets could have provided a person a calm and restful sleep. But no, the woman beside him kept fidgeting and squirming in her position, creating unnecessary irritating sounds.

He closed his eyes again and forced his mind to sleep. A minute had not yet passed when he felt the blanket being tugged from him again. With his back turn against her, he remained immobile and tucked the other end of the thick blanket under him, securing it for himself. The woman beside him pulled harder, trying to get the larger surface area of the blanket for herself.

_Why doesn't she get another one for herself?_

It was a silent tug-of-war between them and it was quite amusing to hear her irritated remarks as she tried to wrench the blanket from him while he maintained his firm grip on the blanket and pretended to be asleep at the same time.

They have not spoken to one another since the other day. They had a short conversation just a while ago at the bathroom but it cannot be considered a conversation at all. The bathroom incident was both their fault. Sakura did not lock the bathroom door while he, on the other hand, did not bother knocking. The bedroom was already dark when he arrived and he falsely assumed that she was already asleep.

Her late reaction was also quite funny. It took her a few seconds to realize that she was physically exposed, standing stark naked in front of him. Of course, it's not like he had never seen her unclothed before. The shampoo-throwing was also amazing and surprising at the same time. She had thrown the shampoo at him at such speed and force that if not for his fast reflexes and sharp eyes, the shampoo bottle would have hit him full on the face. It just proved that her weapon-throwing skills have not rusted after almost four months of being deprived of field missions.

His mind went back to reality. Sakura was still hell bent on yanking the covers from him. Inwardly, he sighed at her stubbornness. He might as well stop the tug of war and give the blanket to her. The cold December weather might affect her health. Therefore, she needs it more than him. Besides, he still need some sleep in preparation for his mission the next day.

He pulled the ends of the blanket from under his body and relinquished his hold on it, feeling the warmth of the thick blanket slide away from his body when a shriek made him jerked up from the bed.

"AH!" He heard Sakura shrieked out loud.

Instantly, he bolted upright to see what happened.

It was only through his sheer will power and determination that prevented him from uttering a laugh. Instead, he just smirked at the scene before him.

Lying on the floor a few feet away from the bed, Sakura was partially rolled inside the blanket like a crab meat wrapped inside a ball of rice and seaweed wrapper. She strongly reminded him of a sushi. It looked as if when she was pulling the blanket with great force, his sudden relinquish made her lose her inertia and came rolling off towards the floor.

He stood up and was about to lend a helping hand when she spoke.

"You're awake all this time?" She asked in disbelief, her bright green eyes bulging. "You did that on purpose, didn't you?"

Sasuke blinked at this accusation and answered. "No."

She glared at him at lashed out. "You wanted to make fun of me."

"No," he answered truthfully. But he knew that she would not believe him. He leaned and reached out a hand to help her.

"No, I can manage. Thank you very much," she answered haughtily and extricated herself from the blanket. She moved back towards the bed, pulled to the blanket to the top of her head looking like a large cocoon wrapped inside and did not speak to him again.

Likewise, Sasuke returned to his position and attempted to sleep again.

oOo

* * *

Bright green eyes fluttered open to a familiar cream-colored ceiling. She glanced at the window and saw that it was almost daybreak, the vestiges of yellow peeking and squirting out from behind the clouds and the dark blue skies. She turned to the other side of the bed and as expected, its empty.

"Sasuke," she muttered softly.

Hong long are they going to keep the cold and silent treatment? Days? Weeks?

A sudden burst of energy and inspiration seized her causing her to jerk up from the bed. She went to the bathroom to wash her face, pee and changed her pajamas. Then, she left the bedroom and walked along the hallway, making her way towards the kitchen. She was thinking of a different breakfast to cook for the day so that maybe when he decided to eat with her, they can … talk. She had barely made ten steps when she saw him standing on the end of hall.

In full Anbu uniform.

"You have a mission?" Her eyes suddenly widened and she clamped her hands to her mouth as if she had spoken something forbidden. His words to other echoed on her mind.

_I married you but that does not mean that you have the right to meddle in everything I do! Stop being meddlesome!"_

His fingers were adjusting the straps of his white chest plate when he stilled upon hearing her words.

She bit her lower lip and looked away. "Never mind."

Like a stone falling downhill, her heart and spirit plummeted to depths. Just when she decided to talk to him and start patching things between them, fate intervened. With her head lowered, she slowly walked towards the kitchen.

"Land of Spring," His smooth voice floated through the hallway. Then, he added in a low voice, "I'll be back."

Her head snapped up to his last words. If she's not mistake, those words indirectly mean that he's willing to talk and patch things up when he comes back? She looked at him hopefully, waiting for any reaction that might prove her assumptions wrong.

Sasuke had already finished adjusting his white chest plate and was almost complete except for the white animal-painted mask hanging below his neck. He threw a fast side wards glance at her as he too, was waiting for her reaction or reply.

Both of them stood at opposite ends of the hallway, waiting for each others reaction or reply.

Sasuke broke the awkward scene and decided to go. He turned around and walked towards the door.

Sakura's eyes panicked at his retreating figure and she fumbled for something good to say. "Uh-uh-I'll wait."

Sasuke gave an imperceptible nod and walked outside.

Sakura ran and followed him, only to miss him by a fraction of a second. He had already leapt to the neighbour's roof and was about to jump away.

Cupping her hands on her mouth to amplify her voice, Sakura repeated loudly to him. "I'll wait!"

This time, she caught his small nod and she watched his figure grew smaller and smaller as his distance increased away from her location.

A smile curved into her lips.

Yes, she will wait for him.

oOo

* * *

A/N : Thanks for the reviews! Sorry if it gets late because sometimes I'm doing something or ideas gets sluggish!

ADVANCE MERRY CHRISTMAS GUYS!

**KURISUMASU OMEDETOU**!


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Hi there guys! Sorry for the late update, I enjoyed the holidays too much and I got hooked up playing a Nintendo DS game.

Thanks for the reviews!

Keep posting!

oOo

* * *

**Chapter 7**

Crimson eyes remained transfixed on the two targets running a hundred meters across from him. He kept his chakra masked as he followed the targets, trying to come as close as possible without being noticed. The snow-covered grass muffled his footsteps; yet, it also left visible footprints for anyone to follow. He wondered which of the two targets hold the item he's been tasked to retrieve. Is it the female or male shinobi?

He had been following the two for at last six hours - straight, they should be exhausted by this time. If he's lucky and everything will go as planned, his two targets will soon stop and rest for a few hours in any discernible cave. Then, he would ambush them, retrieve the item and return to the capital of Spring Country. It had taken him almost five days of tracking and information gathering to locate the two missing-nins who stole an important item that belonged to the Land of Spring. Apparently, the two missing-nins belonged to an underground terrorist group whose goal was to invade and conquer the Land of Spring. It is not surprising because the Land of Spring possesses an unusually advanced level of technology when compared to other countries. Its main source of income is technology products, which is then exported to various neighboring countries including Konoha.

The Land of Spring is formerly known as Land of Snow with Yukigakure as its hidden village. It was formerly ruled by a tyrant Doto Kazahana, whom they had learned had, took over the village after killing his predecessor and brother, Sosetsu Kazahana. Team 7 was still genin when they were sent to the mission to help the kidnapped famous movie actress, Yukie Fujikaze. Eventually, they had learned that Yukie Fujikaze is only a screen name and her real name is Koyuki Kazahana, the daughter and sole child of the late Sosetsu Kazahana. She was kidnapped by Dotō as he discovered that the hidden treasure was a generator to change the Land of Snow into the Land of Spring. In the end, the Land of Snow was renamed Land of Spring, the tyrant Doto Kazahana was defeated by Naruto and all snow melted. Dotō's niece and Sōsetsu's daughter, Koyuki Kazahana, the princess who escaped 10 years ago from her uncle's grasp, assumed her birthright as the country's new daimyō.

Two more hours had passed and still, the two targets kept moving. It seemed that they won't even stop to rest. If this continues, they would soon reach the northwest border where the climate is colder and it would be more difficult to catch them. He quickened his pace, decreasing the distance between him and his targets by a quarter. His legs were already aching from eight hours straight of running. The cold, harsh weather did not help and even affected his view of the surroundings.

It's time to be aggressive.

He switched to Plan B.

Channelling chakra to his feet, Sasuke doubled his speed and sped through the forest like an arrow. He clutched his black, hooded cloak tighter to his body, which provided him protection and warmth against the frosty and sharp gust of wind. He had almost reached his targets when they felt his presence. They turned around and assumed a defensive stance, preparing for his attack. He was about to launch an attack when the male shinobi said something to his comrade and to his surprise, instead fighting back, the two shinobis flared, ran and split up into two directions.

Sasuke cursed under his breath, his eyes narrowing at the sudden course of events. It was obvious that the targets have split up in separate directions to confuse him and buy time. Instead of waiting to be attacked, the targets have relied on a fifty-fifty percent chance. One of them is carrying the item he is supposed to retrieve and he must choose the right one.

But which shinobi should he pursue, the female or male shinobi?

If he chooses the wrong person, he would start all over again and search for the item again.

The clock is running. With every second wasted, the right target is going farther from him.

It's time to make a decision.

oOo

* * *

Removing her eyeglasses, Sakura closed her eyes and leaned against the back of the upholstered chair. For a few minutes, she rested her exhausted eyes and fingers. She had been rereading and editing her final draft on her research work on improved and modified cellular regeneration. She intended to submit it to Tsunade before the year ends.

After some thirty minutes of rest, she stood up and yawned. She picked the envelope containing her draft, left the room and locked the door. Before leaving the hospital, she bought a cup of tea from the cafeteria and chatted with the hospital cook for a short time. She walked away from the hospital and turned to the next street, sipping her tea quietly and watching people pass by. It was after she crossed the village central when she felt something odd.

Her steps slowed but she continued walking. She felt the hairs on the back of her nape stand.

Someone is watching and following her.

Sakura continued walking as if she did not notice anything strange and activated her senses. She can't feel any foreign chakra around her, only the normal chakras of the villagers walking pass her. She widened the range of her senses, trying to locate any foreign chakra.

She bit her lower lip in frustration. She can't locate any foreign chakra around her. It is possible that the person following her possesses great chakra control that he or she was able to mask his or her presence very well. Looking at the villagers around her, she noted that they were busy as usual. The end of year festival is near and they were scurrying to buy foods to be served and gifts to be given to loved ones. What if her stalker is just blending on with the crowd, watching her silently, waiting?

A flurry of people were building up outside an establishment. She went for a closer look and learned that the supermarket was having a big sale for the end of year festival. She entered inside, took a basket and floated along the towering shelves of foods, liquors and personal hygiene products. Scanning her eyes over the rows and columns of canned meats, Sakura picked two different brands and pretended to compare it while trying to sense the anonymous stalker.

Minutes passed quickly. Sakura just picked some toiletries and random vegetables and went to the counter. The queue to the cashier was long but she waited patiently, buying time to figure out and locate the stalker.

Why is she being followed?

She had been out of missions for months and she can't think of anything important that enemies would want from her.

Is she being spied for information?

Or worse is she being targeted to kill?

After paying at the cashier, Sakura left the grocery and walked at a different path, away from her house. She can't go home now that she is being followed. She expanded her senses again but still she can't locate the source of the odd chakra. She had a funny feeling in the back of her head that this unknown person is still watching and following her.

Should she go home and wait for the attacker? She had not fought for months and even though she decides to use long-range ninjutsu attacks, there is still the possibility that she would get hurt physically.

As a field medic-nin, she requires excellent chakra control, because medic-nins use chakra to heal injuries. Aside from medical training, her combat training consists mainly of taijutsu skills, with emphasis placed on evading enemy attacks, as the death of the medic-nin could result in the death of the team, though medical techniques can also be used offensively. On dangerous missions, medic-nins are usually sent along with the team, to increase the survival rate of that team. Still, her delicate condition makes the use of taijutusus a great setback. She's pregnant and she would endanger the health of her unborn child if she fights.

She has another option and that is to report to the Hokage. Yet, without any evidence or motive on why she was being followed, her report will be useless.

Sakura clutched the grocery bags tightly and stopped at a familiar house. Inhaling a deep breath, she knocked on the door, praying fervently that the person she is seeking is present. This is the nearest house she could find and stay for the night.

No one answered.

She knocked again. This time harder.

Fortunately, the door opened revealing Naruto in a kitchen apron. "Sakura-chan! Hey, what's up?"

"Nothing, I just wanted to drop by for a visit."

"Come over. Where's Teme?"

"Sasuke's been away on a mission at Spring Country."

"Spring Country? Yukie Fujikaze seldom makes any movie since she became a daimyo."

"The village is her first priority." She peeked inside and saw a steam coming from the kitchen. "You're cooking?"

Grinning, Naruto replied. "Yeah, Hinata taught me this recipe because she said that all I ever eat is ramen."

"That's nice. Here, I bought this for you," she handed to him the two bags of groceries. "Is Hinata inside?"

"Nah, she's at her family's residence, busy with some ceremonial duties."

After removing her sandals, Sakura walked to the small living room adjoining the kitchen and bedroom. Her eyebrows suddenly lifted at the state of the room. "Wow, everything is…tidy," she exclaimed in surprise and amazement.

Naruto grinned and scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Hinata cleaned and organized my things just the other day."

"Really?" Sakura's pink eyebrows went higher. "Good for you. The last time I came here it's almost inhabitable."

"It felt weird, you know, seeing this room so clean. I felt like this is not my room anymore."

She saw a small notepad and pen lying on a small table and started scribbling in it. "I just hope Hinata kicked some neatness in you," she commented as she handed to him the note. "You don't have a mission for this month?"

Naruto laughed then frowned at the note given to him. He read it quickly and gasped. "What? Who?"

_Someone's following me._

Sakura gave him a sign to be quiet and slid her eyes outside the open windows. She repeated her question. "You don't have a mission?"

Comprehension dawned upon him and he quickly scribbled on the notepad and gave it back to her. "Baa-chan gave me paper works! Can't you believe that? Paper works? She said I've got to read it because it contains information for my next mission."

_Who? And why?_

"Paper works?" Sakura scribbled again on the notepad and handed it back to him. "I think it's training for you as a Hokage candidate."

_I don't know who. I can't sense his location. I can just feel it._

Naruto snorted disbelievingly and stirred the pot. "Nah, if they want me to be prepared as the next Hokage. They should give me missions not paper works! Baa-chan is just lazy." He read the note, crumpled it and shot in into the trash can. He took another piece of paper and scribbled his reply.

_That's why you showed up at my house._

Sakura laughed at Naruto's reaction as she took the notepad and read it. "What paper works did she give to you?"

_Sort of. _

"Assorted documents," said Naruto with a frown. "Letters from other Kages, requests etc." He received the notepad again.

"I'll help you with the paper works, if you like," offered Sakura with a grin as she handed the notepad back to Naruto.

_Can I stay here for tonight?_

Naruto read the note and grinned at her. "Sure!"

"Then, I think I'll have to spend the night here," she said and smiled at her most dependable friend.

oOo

* * *

_Katon: Goryuka no Jutsu!_

A large dragon-shaped fire shot from Sasuke's mouth, coursing straight to his target. The great fire shone against the dark forest like a blazing dragon flying through the snow-covered canopy of trees. It burned everything along its path, creating an ash- coated tunnel for him as he continued to manipulate the fire. The fire also provided him temporary warmth against the cold, bitter wind which reminded him strongly of the tropical climate of Konoha.

The fire caught the hem of the target's cloak and right sleeves, instantly turning the fabrics into ashes and causing a red, blister formation on the skin. The split-second interference provided Sasuke with the opportunity to attack close range. He leapt towards the target and aimed for a hard kick on the face. Unfortunately, the target was able to block the kick by crossing the arms in front of the face. However, the force brought the target skidding backwards.

"Give it to me," said Sasuke calmly. "And there would be no unnecessary death."

"What are you talking about?"

"Give the canister to me and you won't get hurt, woman."

A shrill laugh emanated from the woman which strongly reminded Sasuke of a cat. She opened the zipper of her half-burnt cloak and showed that she has nothing but a pouch of weapons and a scroll. "I don't have it, fool!"

Sasuke cursed silently under his breath. Clearly, there was no visible canister on her body. Instincts told him to choose the female instead of the male shinobi for reasons unknown to him. He was obviously mistaken and he would need to catch up with the other shinobi. But the male shinobi could be miles away now, how could he know where the male shinobi is heading to?

And what should he do with the woman now that it was obvious that she does not have the item he's supposed to retrieve? He can extract some information from her but he was doubtful that she would give any. Furthermore, asking her for information is tantamount to admitting that he made a grave mistake and he failed. Unless he kills her then maybe, he would be able to find some useful clues to where the male shinobi might be heading.

"You're useless," he said. And without waiting for her to react or reply, Sasuke charged towards her and kicked her behind the shins, causing the female shinobi to fall on the ground. Sasuke took the chance and thrusted a kunai to her chest. The female shinobi disappeared and a log fell into place.

Then, something exploded within the area, the white snow and the brown color of the earth mixing up in the air. With his Sharingan, he saw the female shinobi's chakra leapt away from the explosion and did a series of handseals. She slammed her palm to the ground and from it, the earth began to grumble as if something was about to protrude beneath it. Then, the woman ran away.

Sasuke was about to run after the woman but suddenly, large, pointed ice crystals protruded from the ground, creating a cage-like prison on him.

_Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu_

His chest expanded and then, a massive orb of fire spewed out from his mouth, melting the crystal-cage around him and creating a black crater on the ground. As soon as there was enough crystals melted, Sasuke dashed across the trees, his Sharingan locked on the target's chakra almost a kilometer away. The woman seemed to be a fast runner and it seemed to him that her built was not for fighting but more for stealing items and escaping enemies.

He took a handful of shurikens and throwed into the woman's direction, each of the shurikens controlled by a thin chakra lines linked to his fingers. Four out of the ten shurikens reached the woman, the chakra strings looping around her ankles like a rope, causing her to fall from the tree. Sasuke pulled the chakra strings and fortunately, the woman's light body weight became an advantage to him.

The female shinobi held to the chakra strings and did something to it. From her hands, ice began to form, encasing the chakra lines and absorbing it as it travelled towards Sasuke. Sasuke released the chakra strings and released another fire ninjutsu. Next, he leapt towards her and engaged in a taijutsu battle.

No matter how fast the woman is, his Sharingan could see her every move and he was able to land some powerful strikes to her body. He needs to finish the battle; he has no time to play. He needed information to get to the male shinobi and retrieve the item as soon as possible.

Channeling chakra into his hands, a blue-and-white spear-shaped Chidori began to form. He charged at the woman when he felt someone fast approaching. The female shinobi stopped too then gritted her crooked teeth, obviously recognizing the chakra signature and seemed angry with it. In a few seconds, another shinobi arrived.

"What are you doing here?" The woman snarled, her eyes narrowing in anger.

The male shinobi looked at Sasuke and back to the female. "To aid you."

"I can handle him!"

It was noticeable that the female shinobi did not expect her male comrade to come. Questions began to form inside his mind. If the item is carried on by the male shinobi, why would he turn up when an enemy who is obviously after them is present?

Is it really to aid his female comrade?

But no, could it be-?

Instantly, realization dawned upon him.

"Give it to me," he said calmly to the woman.

"I've already told you that I don't have it, fool!"

"You have it," Sasuke said in an emotionless voice. "Why would your comrade suddenly turn up when you've said to me that he has the item? You expected me to believe your lie and go after him, right? You did not expect that I will still try to kill you. You were trying to escape because you really have the item."

Sasuke turned to the male shinobi. "You expected that I will go after you in the first place because between the two of you, I would presume that you're stronger. When I correctly chose the woman, you panicked because you knew that she has the item and she would not be able to escape."

The female shinobi began to summon ice forms of different animals like a wolf, tiger, python and a panther. Meanwhile, the male unleashed a long spear made of ice. The male shinobi and the ice-animals started to attack him simultaneously, leaving him with no time to perform a ninjutsu. His Chidori spear clashed against the Ice Spear and he was astonished that it did not even cause a crack. The enemy's ice spear seemed dense enough in water and wind element making it as hard as a diamond. The woman kept summoning ice animals, directing it to attack him.

He turned again to the female shinobi and spoke again, trying to make a diversion. "You have the canister hidden inside the scroll that's why you're trying to escape from my fire ninjutsus because you don't want it to get burned, right?"

Visibly tensing, the woman's yellow cat-like eyes narrowed at him, eyeing him with utmost hatred. She let out a cat-like howl and snarled. "I'll kill you! I'll kill you!"

oOo

* * *

A week and two days had already passed since he retrieved the canister and returned it to Koyuki Kazahana, the presiding daimyo of Yukigakure. She had been holding the position for nearly a decade already. He learned that the ninjas who stole the canister were the remaining members of Doto's group. The group had disbanded nine years ago upon Doto's defeat and death but the remaining active and ambitious members began to regroup some years after and have launched several unsuccessful assassinations and coup d'états. The recent one was breaking into the daimyo's office and stealing the canister, which supposedly holds the secret code combination of the generator that turned the Land of Snow into Land of Spring. Speculations arose that the leftist group were aiming to gain control of the generator that supplies electricity and water to the village and subsequently, wrestle control of the administration and the economy.

He remembered his last and brief conversation with the daimyo just before he left Yukigakure.

_ Koyuki Kazahana, now in her early thirties, stared outside the glass windows of her office, watching the snow fall from the sky. She turned to face the masked Anbu in front of her desk. "Thank you for returning the canister. As expected, Konoha Anbus are excellent."_

_ Sasuke merely nodded, wondering if there is anything she would say so he could finally leave._

_ "How is Uzumaki Naruto? Do you know him?"She asked, looking wistful all of a sudden. "Of course you know him, I forgot. Everyone in Konoha knows his name."_

_ Sasuke did not answer right away, thinking what to answer, his mask hiding the little frown etched in his forehead. He's not really good in answering questions starting with "how" and "why" since it requires nice and long replies. _

_"Good," he managed to answer._

_ Koyuki smiled and continued talking. "Maybe you're wondering why I asked about Naruto all of a sudden. You see, every winter, the Land of Spring temporarily becomes Land of Snow. Every winter season, I remember that this place was used to be covered in snow all year round, controlled by my uncle Doto. If not for Naruto and his team, I would not be able to discover the legacy and dream of my father. That Naruto boy also changed me."_

_ She walked towards the glass cabinet and brought out wooden box. "I have one more request. Can you please give this to Uzumaku Naruto? This is just a simple gift for him. The village will be celebrating its 10__th__ founding anniversary next year as Land of Spring. I forgot the names of his two other teammates, the little dark-haired boy and the pink-haired girl but this gift is also for them."_

_ "Little dark-haired boy?" Sasuke thought with amusement, wondering how she would react if he said that the masked Anbu standing in front of her was the "little dark-haired boy" she had been referring to. _

"_Rest assured, I will give this to them," he said before leaving._

oOo

* * *

"Ouch!" Naruto grimaced in pain, holding his right hand. "What was that for?"

Sakura took the crab from Naruto's plate and returned it to the serving platter. "We won't eat until Sasuke arrives."

"What?" Naruto cried in alarm. "But we don't know when he would return back! It could be tomorrow or the next day after!"

"We'll wait for him so we'll be able to eat together," said Sakura stubbornly. "He said he'll be back."

"But, Sakura," Kakashi sighed at the mouth-watering foods laid at the table. "The Land of Spring is located far north and it takes almost two weeks travel time back to Konoha. Furthermore, he would still need to report back to the Hokage upon his return. There's no assurance that he will be back until midnight."

"Hear, hear!" Naruto affirmed delightfully, seeing the defeated look on Sakura's face.

"Fine," she snapped at the two. "New Year's Eve then. As in twelve midnight, okay?" She emphasized to the two.

Kakashi glanced at the wall clock behind him. "Aa, fifteen more minutes, Naruto."

"What?" Naruto glared at the clock, thinking that it's being slow in purpose. "But I'm hungry! Can't we eat now? It doesn't matter if it's still quarter to twelve, it's almost twelve midnight!"

"No, I said twelve midnight and it's final," said Sakura not moving her eyes off from the table, trying to catch if Naruto would steal any. "And don't the two of you dare to move the hands of the clock, I would not be fooled."

Naruto groaned and turned to Kakashi for support. Unfortunately, Kakashi returned back on reading his favorite book, Icha Icha Paradise. "Oh, come on, Sakura! Let's eat. I'm starving!"

She went to the kitchen and started to cut some vegetables for garnish. She heard Naruto follow her and started badgering her again. "

Try reading a book like Kakashi-sensei," Sakura suggested.

"You know I hate reading!"

"Watch TV then," she said without looking at him.

"But my favorite TV show have ended yesterday already," he grumbled.

"Just do anything worthwhile, okay?"

"But eating is the only worthwhile I can think of right now!"

"Fifteen minutes, Naruto," said Sakura sternly. She went to the kitchen and stirred the steaming pot. "Don't look at the clock and keep yourself busy while I finish preparing the foods."

"But I can't do anything if I'm hungry!"

"That's ridiculous! You're sounding like Chouji already!"

"You've got to eat too, Sakura," he teased.

"I'm not hungry," she replied, scooping a bowl of hot pot.

"But your baby might be hungry," Naruto said further.

Her reply was cut off when Kakashi spoke. "Sakura, it's almost twelve."

"What?" Sakura went back to the dining room and looked at the clock. True enough, it was 11:59 already.

"Time to eat!" Naruto jumped in excitement.

"A promise is a promise!" He reminded her grinning.

Sakura glared at the Kakashi. "You moved the hands of the clock when I was not looking, didn't you?"

Kakashi frowned, looking every inch innocent. "I don't know what you're talking about, Sakura. I'm just reading my book."

She was about to reply when they started to hear the loud bangs of fireworks.

"See, it's almost twelve," said Kakashi innocently. "The people started setting their fireworks already."

She dashed to the windows and looked outside. True enough, their neighbor started to set off colorful fireworks already. She returned to the dining area and saw Naruto and Kakashi already seated at the table, their eyes gleaming in anticipation.

"Okay, we'll eat now but as I've said earlier," she paused looking at the clock.

"It should be 12 midnight, _exactly_," she emphasized at the two of them. She looked at the clock again.

11:59:27

Thirty-three more seconds to go.

Naruto and Kakashi watched the clock's seconds hand move inch by inch, feeling the torture of seeing and smelling the foods in front of them yet not being able to eat it.

Thirty seconds.

Sakura looked at the empty seat beside her, hoping that Sasuke would trun up any secind by now. This would be their first New Year as a married couple and although holidays like this does not matter to him, it means a lot to her.

Instead of attending the end of year party at the village central, Team 7 had been spending every New Year's Eve together in each one's respective house every year. She knows that Sasuke does not like attending social events and preferred being alone so she suggested that they just spend it together. Fortunately, he attended every year but he never wanted to host and celebrate it at the Uchiha residences. Twice, they had celebrated it at Naruto's apartment, once at Kakashi's and last year at her house with her family. However, Naruto and Kakashi were bad cooks and Sasuke does not want to do anything so she was always the one who buys the ingredients and cooks the food for their New Year's Eve dinner.

"Fifteen seconds!" Naruto whispered excitedly.

15, 14,13,12,11…

Ten more seconds to go.

10, 9…

She looked at the door, hoping that he would just appear all of a sudden and they would be complete.

8, 7, 6…

Naruto looked at her and said, "Don't be sad, Sakura. Kakashi and I are here so let's just pretend that Teme's here too."

5,4...

Three more seconds.

Sakura smiled at him, "I know."

3,2,1.

The clock rang noisily as all the hands struck the number 12. Outside, they could hear frenzy of firecrackers and people shouting and greeting one another. The open windows provided them with the spectacular display of colorful fireworks against the dark, night sky.

"Happy New Year!" Naruto shouted at the top of his lungs.

"Happy New Year," said Kakashi.

Sighing, Sakura decided that it was fruitless to spoil the celebration just because of she wanted Sasuke to be present. She put up a bright smile on her face and greeted them, "Happy New Year!" And she hugged the two.

"Okay, time to eat! _Itaedekamasu!_" Naruto declared happily, picking his chopsticks and began pouring his plate with every menu on the table.

Kakashi filled their glasses with champagne and raised his glass, "_Kampai!_"

Naruto and Sakura raised their glasses too with Naruto already chewing something. Together the three of them cheered as they raised their glasses and cheered.

"_KAMPAI!_"

oOo

* * *

Bright, colorful fireworks dotted the indigo sky; people drinking and dancing; luminous red paper lanterns hanging in every house; the aroma of different foods wafting his senses.

New Year.

It was truly one of the happiest and most celebrated events of the year. Even the Hokage did not bother to hear his mission report a she was already drunk and dazed. The Godaime even dared him to a drinking match. Thankfully, Shizune arrived and just told him to come over the after two days for his mission report. Shizune also apologized in behalf of the Godaime's behavior and explained that drinking is one of Tsunade's oldest habits aside from gambling.

He continued walking along the streets, practically dragging his aching feet on the pavement. People greeted him and he just nodded. Maybe if not for the mask that hides his face, people would not greet him. Some of them, especially the adults, still thinks that he is a criminal and did not deserve the pardon given by the Hokage. Well, he doesn't give a damn on what they think.

After almost half an hour of walking, he reached his apartment, sitting brightly in the corner of the street with its colorful lanterns and decorations. He could have just jumped from roof to roof and reach the house in just a few minutes but he was so exhausted from his mission that he just walked.

He pushed opened the gates and walked to the door. From what he could sense, there were three chakra signatures inside the house: two active and one dormant. He felt Naruto's presence behind the door. As expected, Naruto greeted him with a loud blaring horn as he pushed open the door.

"HAPPY NEW YEAR!" Naruto greeted him, blowing a toy trumpet to his ear.

_No, it's not greeting. He practically shouted on his right ear_.

"Cut it out, dobe," he said, shoving the paper trumpet into Naruto's mouth as the latter tried to blow the trumpet again.

"Aack!" Naruto gagged and pulled the mouthpiece of the trumpet from inside his mouth. "It's New Year, Teme! Can't you have fun at least once in a year?"

Sasuke ignored Naruto's rant and started removing his black cloak and chest plate. Next, he removed his sandals and entered the hallway. Then, Kakashi appeared and upon seeing that he had already arrived, he started walking towards them. The Copy-nin walked in a swayed fashion whle singing an unrecognizable song.

"Is he drunk?" Sasuke inquired.

"Hey, Uchiha!" Kakashi called him out loudly as if they were standing a kilometer apart. "Happy-hic! New-hic-Year!"

Naruto caught Kakashi as the latter swayed and fell on the floor. "He drank all the sake bottles by himself."

"Sake? We don't have any in here," he said, frowning.

"Sakura bought it for us but Kakashi kinda went overboard in drinking," replied Naruto. He nudged Kakashi hard on the ribs. "Hey!"

Kakashi responded with a grunt and looked at Naruto angrily for a moment. Then, the Copy-nin vomited and passed out on the floor.

"Take him to his house," said Sasuke, eyeing the drunken Copy-nin in disappointed way. The holidays are not an excuse to get drunk. As shinobis, they are expected to be always cautious regardless of day and time. What if an enemy strikes out in the midst of this occasion and everyone is drunk?

"Is she also drunk?" He immediately asked.

"No," answered Naruto. "But she's asleep on the dining table."

"She's been waiting for you all day and night. She cooked all day hoping that you would get back on time for New Year's eve dinner," Naruto looped an arm to support Kakashi's waist while his other arm took Kakashi's arm and placed it around his shoulder. "We thought you won't be back until next week. Is the mission successful?"

"Of course," he answered in an arrogant way.

Naruto scowled at this. "Then, how come you got back immediately? Did you fly?"

"No," he replied, confusing Naruto even more. Then, he remembered something. He rummaged through his cloak and took out the box Koyuki had given him. "Hey, dobe, Koyuki Kazahana wants to give this to you."

"Really?" He removed his arms supporting Kakashi and took the gift with both hands, momentarily forgetting the Copy-nin on the floor. Immediately opening the box, Naruto took out a crystal jar with a single frozen rose inside. It was a very different rose, however. Everything from the stem to the leaves is ice while the flower petals are red. "Wow! What is this? A rose?"

"Its symbolization of their village," said Sasuke.

"Huh?" Naruto frowned at him as if he was suddenly speaking a foreign language.

"The stem and leaves represent their past as Snow Country and the rose petals signifies their current existence as Spring Country."

Naruto nodded and scrutinized the crystal jar in amazement. "Cool! I'm going to show this to Hinata!"

"Take Kakashi," Sasuke reminded him. "I don't want him lying around here like a drunk beggar."

"Oh," grinned Naruto. He picked up the Copy-nin and was about to rush to the door when he remembered something important. Turning around to face Sasuke, he spoke in a serious tone. "Did you know that someone's following and watching Sakura these past few days?"

This caught Sasuke's attention. Someone's following Sakura? "Who? Since when?"

"She doesn't know who," shrugged Naruto. "It started just a week ago. She just showed up in my doorstep and said that someone's seems to be following her."

"Kakashi and I can't locate any strange chakra around that's why it's proving to be quite difficult to catch the stalker," he recounted. "Kakashi and I have been taking turns to accompany her every day, making sure Sakura's not alone although she kept insisting that she can handle herself."

"Is it still following her until today?"

"Sakura said it was gone after two to three days of tailing her. Perhaps the stalker noticed that she's never alone. The big question is WHY is she being followed. Sakura's been out of mission for months and we can't think of anyone who hates her!"

Sasuke nodded, absorbing everything. Naruto was right, Sakura was out of mission for several months and he can't think of anyone who might hold a grudge against her.

_"But there are many people out there who loathed you'"_ his mind said.

His past criminal activities have given him scores of enemies from different countries. It could be from Otogakure where he killed Orochimaru, the Land of Iron which he attacked during the Five Kage Summit or it could be from Konoha. Not everyone in the village was happy with the Hokage's decision to pardon him, some of them wanted to have him executed for the crimes he did against the village.

"Hey, Sasuke."

Sasuke turned to face Naruto and was surprised with the sudden serious look on the blonde's face. "What?"

"Take care of her, will you?" Naruto waited for him to answer.

Sasuke just nodded.

The serious look was immediately replaced with a grin. "I'll kick you in the ass if something happens to her."

"I'd like to see you try," replied Sasuke smirking in an overconfident way.

Naruto and Kakshi left, leaving him on his own. He went to the dining room and like what Naruto told him, Sakura was asleep face down on the dining table.

"Sakura," he spoke announcing his presence.

No response.

"Sakura," he repeated.

Still, no response.

He gazed over the display of dishes on the table and he can't help but imagine how much effort and energy she had spent to cook all of it. He picked a pair of chopsticks and began tasting every dish.

_Good_, he thought as he chewed on the sashimi. Every dish tasted pretty good. It seemed her cooking had improved a lot because the first time she tried to cook, it was inedible and the food just ended on the garbage can. She had a family, a mother who would always cook for her that's why she did not how to cook much. Nevertheless, she tried to learn how to cook during the past few months and he had to admit that she was a fast learner.

In spite of this, he does not have any appetite to eat. All he wanted now is to rest and sleep. To make sure that her efforts did not go to waste, he placed the dishes to the fridge. It can still be reheated tomorrow.

"Hey, Sakura," he said tapping her on the shoulder. She needs to get up and go to sleep on the bed.

No response.

She must been exhausted too from all the cooking and preparation she did all day. He just decided to pick her up. Gently, he picked her up, his arms supporting her back and legs. Her head lolled sideways, resting on his chest. He carried her to the bedroom and when he was about to put her down, he felt something wet on his shirt. He did not know whether to get annoyed or amused with what he discovered: her mouth was partially opened and a trickle of drool was oozing from the side of her mouth.

He just shook his head in amusement and slowly laid her on the futon. He tucked the blankets close to her chin and for a moment, he decided to watch the steady rise and fall of her chest, noting how peaceful she looks when she's asleep.

He slumped to the bed beside her and stretched his arms and legs.

4:25, the clock registered.

He had been so exhausted. He had travelled for almost ten days, three of which he travelled non-stop without sleeping, just to be able to reach Konoha in time for New Year. Even he could not comprehend or understand why he did it in the first place. Why was is it so important for him to return in time for New Year's Eve?

Is it because of their team's annual end-of-the-year dinner celebration?

_"Or"_, a voice piped in.

Is it because he knows that someone is waiting for him?

He turned sideways and looked at her sleeping form. Their last conversation before he left for Spring Country resurfaced to his mind. He said that he'll be back so they could at least talk and in turn, she said that she would wait for him.

Well, literally, she really did wait for him until she fell asleep.

A warm feeling surge through him, seeping into his chest and slowly enveloping his whole being. It felt good and bizarre at the same time to know that someone is waiting for him to return. That someone cares for him this much.

He felt his eyelids drooped involuntarily, his body signaling him to sleep. He looked at her once again and an unbidden thought suddenly came across his mind. His eyes widened at this thought and he debated inwardly whether to do it or not.

His rational mind was telling him that it was foolish and he is starting to get attached more than he should be. Yet, a part of him is urging him to do it because he would not lose or gain anything if he decided to do so.

Finally, he just made up his mind to do it. Besides, he rationalized with his mind, it is just a try and she would not know it.

He sat up and gaze at her sleeping form once again. He leaned towards her, gently lifting her nape towards him as he kissed her tenderly on the lips. Fortunately, it did not wake her up.

"I'm back," he whispered to her ear softly. "Happy New Year."

And he laid back on the bed beside her and let his body and mind finally yield away to sleep.

oOo

* * *

A/N: Sorry for the grammatical errors! I''m trying to find a beta reader who would be willing to edit my chapters even if the story itself is not yet finished.

Guys, any suggested beta reader?

**PLEASE REVIEW!**

**_Kung Hei Fat Choi!_**


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Thank you for the rave reviews!

Read and enjoy!

* * *

******Chapter 8**

******

* * *

**

The floor-length mirror reflected the image of a woman wearing an untied maroon kimono and hair that had been left loose, undone. Said figure frowned at her reflection as if disappointed with her image. Then, she heard the door open, revealing a dark haired man in his usual dark-blue shirt and cardigan shorts. The woman immediately snapped her kimono to a close and looked at his bored expression that was engrained on the mirror.

"Please give me another minute, Sasuke-kun."

Sasuke nodded and muttered something like "Women", before leaving the room to give her some space.

After making sure that he was out of earshot, Sakura headed back to her reflection and inspected her body again. She picked up the wide purple obi from its place on the bed and wrapped it around her mid-section. Inspecting her appearance, she turned sideward and noted with displeasure that the obi did not do much to hide the ominous concaved shape of her abdomen. It really _was_ awful.

_I look like a baby whale_! Sakura thought with a large sum of anxiety, clearly horrified by the realisation.

Unknowingly, she had gained a lot of weight over the past few weeks, eating whatever she laid her eyes on regardless of the time or the place. Even though her fellow medic said that her weight gain is normal and is still within the normal range for one undergoing a typical pregnancy, she couldn't help but think that she was starting to turn into the female version of Chouji.

She heard two soft knocks on the door, a sign of Sasuke's waning patience.

"I'm coming!" Sakura hollered in reply, hands lifting to sort out the mess of pink tresses that waved softly around her face. She pulled her hair, tied it at the back of her nape and secured it with an ornamental chopstick. After checking her appearance for the last time, she dabbed some lip gloss over her lips and exited as Sasuke had no more than five minutes ago.

Her dark haired husband was leaning against the gate when she arrived, looking bored as ever.

"Let's go." She stated with a small smile settling on her plump pink lips.

He merely glanced at her for a second before turning around to walk.

While walking in complete silence, Sakura thought of something decent and polite to say to her brooding spouse. She found herself gazing up at him and whispering softly, so only he could hear, "Thank you for accompanying me today."

Sasuke just nodded and continued on his way, with her close to his side.

Konoha was currently celebrating the Spring Festival, where the villagers are supposed to gather at the park and admire the beauty of newly-bloomed flowers and trees. It was one of Sakura's favourite times of the year because she really loved the way the different colors of the blossoms blended together to create a sea of endless beauty. Fortunately, Sasuke had agreed to accompany her after tireless persistence and Naruto's taunting that he was being "anti-social". He had never like social events, thinking that it was a waste of his time; that's why it came as a surprise to Sakura that he had agreed to come with her, albeit reluctantly.

Feeling the need, compulsion, to remind him of how grateful, truly grateful, she was, Sakura raised her gaze to meet with his once more, a carefree grin splitting her lips as she said once again, "Really, Sasuke-kun; thank you for coming with me today."

Grunting an incomprehensible reply (as per usual, and to be expected), Sasuke just nodded and continued walking—now a few steps ahead of her.

Taking it as a positive notion, Sakura smiled and edged closer to him as they walked together.

oOo

* * *

Eyes.

Stares.

Whispers.

Sasuke clenched his teeth but remained calm and composed as he ignored the boring eyes and whispers of the people around him. It was one of the main reasons why he disliked attending social events like the Spring Festival.

Even though he's not looking, he could feel and hear the stares and whispers behind his back. Some of the villagers have not yet accepted him whole-heartedly despite his obvious return to their side, and the help he had provided them with when the Fourth Shinobi World War had been waged—even his service to the village for more than five years was not recognised. They still thought of him as a traitor.

He really didn't want to come here in the first place, if not for Sakura's persistent invitation. He had agreed along with his motive to see if the person following her was still around; he might catch the unknown identity if he's lucky enough to. Sakura said that she no longer felt the foreign presence, not since before the year had ended. Does that mean that the unidentified follower had just collected information about her?

Information for what purpose?

Whatever the reason, he knew that she wasn't safe, even within the confines of her home village.

"Hey, Teme!" Naruto called out to him. "Want some rice balls?"

"No."

Naruto shrugged and continued eating happily. The blonde was not here to view the blossoms, but to munch away the foods Hinata and Sakura had brought with them. Speaking of the Hyuuga girl, Sasuke found both her and Naruto an odd pair for a couple. Naruto is boisterous, loud-mouthed and outgoing while the Hyuuga seemed to be such a shy person, who is always on the verge of fainting whenever she's with Naruto

"Teeheehee!"

What the—?

Sasuke heard a bout of girlish giggles. He turned his head, only to find a group of three young women tittering and looking directly at him.

_Stupid women_. He thought angrily. He glared at them, but instead of scampering away, they just averted their eyes and giggled some more, before they resumed whispering with one another. The woman at the center of the group, particularly the one with long, brown hair and dark eyes, levelled her eyes on him, matching his gaze with hers intensely.

_What does this woman want?_

oOo

* * *

oOo

Carnations, daffodils, lilacs, lilies and roses.

Sakura touched the delicate petals of the white rose with her fingers, grazing the tips lightly so as not to break the delicate blossom. Each flower has its own beauty and distinctive scent that sets it apart from the rest. Her favourites are pink and white lilies. They may not be as popular as the rose, but they have a particular fragrance and beauty that made them fascinating to her.

She suddenly remembered her childhood activities with Ino. They used to play a lot at the park along with other girls of their age, picking flowers and turning them into crowns, headbands or necklaces. It was something that only the female gender could appreciate. Men? They would never understand why women love flowers as much as they do.

True enough, Naruto was busy eating everything inside the picnic basket while Sasuke seemed bored—

_Wait a minute_.

Sakura stopped and turned to look at Sasuke closely. He was gazing intently at a group of young women, aged from 18 to 23 years. Among the group, the brown-haired woman caught her attention because she was locking eyes with Sasuke, smiling unashamedly in a weird way that seemed to be telling Sasuke to come over and join her. They were not just staring at Sasuke, they were practically ogling him like he was a piece of delicious meat that they were rarin' to have.

Wait a second, that bitch is flirting with Sasuke!

_"Whoa! Can't you see that woman?" Inner Sakura piped in. "She's flirting with __our_ _Sasuke! Do something!"_

Sakura's green eyes narrowed at the woman.

_"Don't just stand there! Show that slut what we've got!" Inner Sakura shouted at her. "Give her a nice Sakura punch!"_

Inner Sakura suddenly donned a pair of red boxing gloves and started punching an imaginary opponent.

Reflexively, her hands balled into fists. She had not practiced the Cherry Blossom Impact for months. That woman's face looked like a lovely practice place to start off with.

"_Sasuke_." She called out sweetly.

The group turned to look at her, clearly surprised with the lack of honorific on his name and the saccharine-coated way she called him.

"Let's go _home_." Sakura exclaimed with particular emphasis on the word "home." "I'm tired."

For a few seconds, Sasuke looked at her with a mixture of puzzlement and wonder. Then, it was gone, and he just nodded in agreement.

"We'd better." He said monotonously, relief evident in his expression.

Sakura turned to Hinata and Naruto. "We're going home."

"W-why?" Hinata asked.

"I'm tired."

"Oh!" Gasped Hinata. "T-take care, Sakura-san."

Naruto just waved at them merrily, his mouth stuffed with whatever food he was currently chewing on.

As they started walking away together, Sakura cast a brief glance behind them and saw the astonished looks on all of the young women's faces. She waved at them "cheerfully", flashing the sparkling gold wedding band on her left middle finger.

"Bitches." She mouthed silently at them and smirked as their jaws nearly dropped out of astonishment.

oOo

* * *

oOo

He opened his eyes to a dark room and he automatically looked at the silver-rimmed wall clock hanging across the wall.

5:43 a.m.

As usual, he woke up before 6 a.m. like a programmed robot. Sasuke got up and to his surprise, the space where Sakura slept was empty. Her own pillow and blanket were already neatly folded on top of one another. It meant that she had woken up earlier than him.

Unusual.

It was the first time she had _ever _woken earlier than him before. Unlike him, Sakura was more of a deep sleeper, especially for the past few months where her eating and sleeping hours have increased dramatically.

After washing his face, he went to the kitchen to make a cup of fresh tea, expecting to find her cooking breakfast. But the kitchen was empty. He went to the garden and found it sparse except for the withered grass and leaves on the ground. He could not sense her presence anywhere in the house, and even around the block of their neighbourhood.

_Where is she?_

His heart began to pound hard against his chest as unlikely images suddenly barraged his mind. Had she been taken in the middle of the night?

_No_, he thought rationally. He should have felt it. She was sleeping right beside him and knowing Sakura, she would not easily give in without a fight.

He needed to calm down. Realizing that he was standing immobile, Sasuke went to the kitchen counter and poured hot water into his porcelain mug and dunked in a teabag of what appeared to be black tea. The powder easily diffused into the hot water, turning the colorless liquid black.

_Maybe she just went out to the market, or there's an emergency at the hospital._

What if he tried calling the hospital to check if she's there?

_No_. He turned down the idea immediately. They might think that he's being overprotective or something.

"She should have left a note..." Sasuke intoned with notable degrees of irritation.

_There is nothing to be concerned for. She's probably just getting her weekly cravings._

Yet, his body seemed to be contradicting what he was trying to tell himself; his fingers had erupted in tiny tremors. "My hands are just frazzled from lack of sleep." Sasuke rationalized whilst he began to flex his fingers in the hopes that the jerky, minute spasms would stop before the convulsions became any worse.

6:10 a.m.

_She'll be back before 7_.

But what if she never returned? What if she just went to the market and on her way there— or even on her way back home—she was abducted by the unknown shinobi?

_Preposterous_, his rational mind contradicted. Konoha is a shinobi village and Sakura is more than just a "capable" kunoichi. She could handle herself had the need to arisen.

But she _is_ pregnant. She wouldn't be able to fight properly because of her current condition.

6:15 a.m.

Sasuke sipped his black tea and closed his eyes to focus. He would wait until 7, and if she didn't turn up after that, he would go outside and try looking for her.

6:18 a.m.

Every now and then, he glanced fleetingly at the wall, and every time he did, he felt like the hands of the clock were moving slowly, making every passing minute seem like an hour had eclipsed without incident. To make the time more productive, Sasuke decided to cook some breakfast. Usually, every time he got up in the morning, he would just drink some coffee or tea, then proceed to the forest for some warm-up morning training, practicing his taijutsus and ninjutsus. After his exercise, he would go back to the apartment, only to find Sakura up from bed and waiting for him to join breakfast.

He knew how to cook because he had started living on his own the day the Uchiha clan was slaughtered. Through the years, he had learned how to cook better thanks to his late mother's recipe booklet which he found in one of the kitchen cabinets. Yet, he was more of a lazy cook who preferred fast and easy-to-make meals which required minimal ingredients, energy and time.

Turning on the stove, he adjusted the gas and placed a skillet pan atop the kindling flame when he felt her presence and heard the gates creaked open, announcing her company. He sighed inwardly, relief flooding his senses now that she was finally back. He heard her cheerful hum as she walked inside the house and showed up in front of him.

"Mornin' Sasuke," she greeted him merrily, taking a gulp of water. She filled the glass again and drank it straight without pausing, the bulk of passing liquid evident on her neck.

She seemed so thirsty. Furthermore, there were beads of perspiration on her forehead and neck, as if she engaged in some sort of strenuous activity.

"Where have you been?" Sasuke's voice was sharp and cutting as he demanded a solid explanation for her whereabouts.

Sakura's eyebrows shot up in surprise at this question, finishing her glass of water before answering. "I went out for some jogging—no, I mean, just some walking exercise."

_Walking exercise_?

Sakura took the skillet pan from him and started cooking. "You didn't go outside for your warm-up training?"

"I don't need to." He replied sharply, lying through his teeth as he watched the items in the pan being tossed around and flipped. One look in her direction and immediately Sasuke decided to further interrogate her. "Had it not occurred to you that you could very well be possibly attacked once you're alone?"

"Uh—"

"That we are yet to confirm and make certain that your 'unknown stalker' has really left you?"

"But—"

"That even here in Konoha you might not be safe?" He grilled mercilessly, his voice a rising an octave along with his turbulent emotions, the tone of anger clearly evident even to her.

Blinking in surprise, it took Sakura a few seconds to answer. "I just wanted to burn some excess fat off. And I'm sorry if I got you worried. But nothing bad happened to me, rest assured."

Sasuke watched the change of expression in her green eyes from surprise to that of something akin to softness and affection. It was as if she understood why he suddenly got angry, and was instead touched by the questions he had fired at her. She smiled at him and said in a joking intonation, "Sorry if I made you wet yourself with concern."

He caught the teasing tone in her voice and by the looks of it, she didn't even look remotely sorry with what she had done. And did he really look that worried to her? Is he becoming so attached to her physical presence that he wanted to see her all the time when he awoke in the mornings, and know her whereabouts whenever she left him?

An awkward minute of silence passed between.

He was not really used to dealing with these kinds of situations. It felt…_uncomfortable_ and _bizarre_. His mind was telling him that his defences were starting to break down, an invisible barrier that he had set to protect his pride and ego. It reminded him of his goal of why he married her in the first place.

Yet, a part of him seemed intent on just going on with the flow of events and whatever he was feeling in the moment.

His rational part won, of course.

"I thought you'd be more responsible, Sakura." He deadpanned stonily. Sasuke knew that his next words would just hurt her, but he chose to continue with them anyway. "Remember that you're carrying an Uchiha heir."

oOo

* * *

oOo

"I guess we don't need any introduction, do we?" Tsunade smiled and gestured her manicured hands to the opposite party standing across from her desk. "Right, Uchiha?"

Sasuke nodded at the Hokage out of respect and gratitude for the pardon she had given to him six years ago, but inwardly, he wanted to wipe off that playful and mocking smirk on her red lips. It seemed to him that she was finding the situation quite interesting.

"What is she doing here?" Naruto asked. "I remember her face but not her name."

"She'll be joining your group for your next mission. She has a stock of very useful information and I believe her skills would be of help in your assigned assignment." The Godaime looked at Sasuke. "It gave me quite a hard time and some generous offers to get her to work for Konoha for this mission, so don't screw this up. Uchiha, why don't you to introduce her to Naruto?"

Sasuke eyed the woman across from him with a bland expression. He gave her a slight nod, acknowledging her presence and at the same time, a civil greeting. The bespectacled woman returned his respectful nod but it was obvious that she is slightly wary of him. "Naruto, this is Karin."

Naruto's blue eyes bulged and instantly shone as he remembered her. "I know you! You're Teme's former teammate!"

The red-head bespectacled woman smiled weakly as if it was the last thing she wanted to be remembered as. "Your Hokage has requested me specifically to work with the two of you on this special mission. It's an honor to be able to work with you, Uzumaki Naruto."

She outstretched a hand in an offer to shake with his.

Scratching the back of his blonde head in a stop-praising-me-but-I-like-it way, Naruto replied with a sheepish smile, "Nah, don't say that. I'm just a ninja with big dreams."

_An honor to work with Naruto, but a nightmare to work with me_. Sasuke thought mordantly.

Tsunade coughed conspicuously, instantly getting their attention as she gestured her red-painted nails impatiently to the door. "Take the empty room at the end of the hallway and plan for your mission. This is a high-profile espionage assignment and I expect utmost confidentiality from all of you."

The party left the room and trekked the wooden floor with Sasuke hanging behind them, putting as much distance as possible between himself and Karin, who was being entertained by Naruto. It was obvious by their encounter that she was quite apprehensive and distrustful of him. He could not blame her, though, because their last encounter had been quite—well, he couldn't put a word to it.

Back then, he didn't really want to kill her. Well, not particularly anyways. It was just that he felt he had no other choice. He wanted to kill Danzo so badly that he didn't care if ending her life was the cost for achieving his ultimate renewed goal—a little sacrifice was necessary for success, after all. He had also been consumed by his hatred and ecstasy after killing Danzo that he did not think twice when heeding Madara's advice to eliminate her completely so as not to leave any evidence.

"Sasuke! Naruto!"

Hearing Sakura's familiar voice, he turned around and found her ascending the stairs of the Hokage Tower, carrying a white hardbound book, which if he guessed right was her completed research work. It seemed that she was going to give it to the Hokage right now.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto ran and stopped in front of her, leaving Karin several feet behind them. "What's up?"

Sakura showed the hardbound book cover to him. "I've finished my research and I'm going to pass it to Tsunade-sama."

Naruto's nose crinkled. The blonde hated anything that was related with or to books, reading and studying. "That's great!" Note the lack of enthusiasm?

She turned her attention to Sasuke. "Another mission?"

He caught the longing in her voice; she would have eagerly joined them if her situation would only permit her. "Yes, we were given another mission."

"Then where's Sai?" Sakura asked, craning her neck to look past the tall men in front of her, searching for a pale-skinned ink-user who would have greeted her as the traditional "Hag" whenever they saw one another. Instead, she saw a familiar red-haired bespectacled woman hanging several feet behind Naruto and Sasuke. "Karin?"

Karin smiled awkwardly and nodded briefly at Sakura.

"She's our new teammate for this mission." Informed Naruto, as he beckoned Karin to introduce more about herself.

Karin walked towards her and stopped beside Naruto. "It's nice seeing you again, Haruno Sakura."

oOo

* * *

oOo

For unknown reasons, Sakura suddenly felt a stab of jealousy at Naruto's news that Karin would be their teammate for their next mission. Is it because the redhead had replaced her position as the female member of Team 7? But Sai had taken her place too, since she had fallen pregnant, and it didn't matter to her. Why was it that she was feeling envious _now_?

"She's no longer _Haruno_ Sakura!" Naruto informed Karin enthusiastically. "She's already an _Uchiha_!"

Karin's maroon eyebrows shot upwards in surprise, sneaking a brief look at the expressionless Uchiha Sasuke, then at Sakura, then to her rounded abdomen. "Oh, I see; congratulations."

"Thank you." Sakura replied tersely, who noted that Karin's tone did sound genuinely surprised at the information.

"Why don't we have some lunch together at Ichiraku Ramen later?" Naruto suggested. He looked at Karin. "Ichiraku is the best resto here in Konoha!"

"No; thanks for the offer though." Declined Karin as if joining them for lunch is the last thing she wanted to do. "But I have other things to do."

"Okay," Naruto acquiesced reluctantly, quite disappointed that he was not able to persuade her to eat at his favourite ramen house. He turned to Sakura. "See you later, Sakura-chan. We still have a planning session to do."

Inwardly, Sakura felt quite happy that Karin did not wish to join them. Although it sounded pretty selfish of her, eating at Ichiraku Ramen had been their group's activity since Sasuke came back (and even before then as children), eating together whenever their schedules permitted them. Sometimes Kakashi and Sai would join them, but it was always the three of them.

It was something exclusively done by and for members of Team 7 _only_.

oOo

* * *

oOo

Ino twirled clockwise while keeping her eyes focused on the full-length mirror. "What do you think?"

"…"

"Hello, Sakura? Did you hear what I just asked?" Ino called out, jostling Sakura out of inattention.

Snapping out of her trance, Sakura turned around to see an irritated Ino. "I'm sorry?"

Sighing exasperatedly, Ino repeated her question. "I was asking for your opinion—if the dress looks okay on me."

"Oh!" Sakura gasped, suddenly embarrassed and ashamed that she had stopped paying attention to her best friend. She took a brief survey of her from head to toe and nodded in affirmation. "Yes, it's good on you."

Ino rolled her eyes as if Sakura didn't think thoroughly enough about it, and was just making up for her previous inattentiveness.

"Really! It brings out your eyes, Pig." Sakura defended stubbornly.

"Okay, I'll take this." Ino exclaimed to the saleslady.

The deep blue mini-skirt dress really did look good on the blonde. It was _perfect_ on her. The halter dress hugged her body in the right places, her breasts, waist and buttocks.

_She looks like perfect bombshell..._ Sakura admitted quietly to herself, quite jealous because here Ino was strutting in a mini-skirt, looking drop-dead gorgeous as always, and here she was, sitting in the cushions of the clothing store, looking like she had swallowed a whole watermelon.

"You've been zoning off into space a lot lately; care to share?" Ino asked as they left the boutique, carrying newly-purchased dresses and jewellery.

Thinking twice if she should share her troubled thoughts with the blonde that had a tendency to run off her mouth, Sakura did not speak immediately. Instead, she focused her attention to the lamp-lit road ahead of them. "Well, you remember Karin?"

"The red-head whom we treated at the hospital like five, six years ago?"

"Yeah." Sakura nodded glumly, scuffling along the pavers as her green eyes were drawn to everything and nothing.

"Why?"

"She's here in Konoha and was placed on a team along with Naruto and Sasuke for a special mission."

"Really?" Ino's blue eyes were as wide as saucers at this source of information. "Shikamaru didn't even tell me! I'll make him pay… Wait, she's Sasuke's former teammat_e_ , right? And he almost killed her back then."

"Yeah..." Sakura tilted her head in affirmation, sounding indifferent at the mention of their past. "But that's not what I'm concerned about."

"Oh!" Ino cried out triumphantly. "I knew it! I knew it! You're jealous of her!"

Kicking a stray pebble on the pavement, Sakura released a pent-up sigh. "Kinda. I feel like she's taking my place in the group as the female member of Team 7."

"Well, there's one more thing to be worried about." Said Ino with a knowing smile. "You're also jealous because she's having an opportunity to spend time with Sasuke."

"What? No! I don't feel the need to be jealous over someone like her!" Sakura retorted, arching her eyebrow at Ino's insinuation.

"Ah, pretty confident huh?"

"Yeah, because it's not in Sasuke's nature to cheat or flirt with women, let alone while he's married no less." Sakura exclaimed with certainty. "I'm sure Karin doesn't feel for him the way she supposedly did anymore; not after what he did to her. She was just here for the mission."

"And how can you be so sure, Forehead?" It was Ino's turn to raise an eyebrow at her. "You still loved Sasuke after what he did to you and Naruto."

"I-I'm different!"

"And you can't deny the fact that your dear husband is still very popular among the women, even if he's already married."

Sakura snorted at this statement, remembering the women who were trying to flirt with Sasuke at the village park just a week ago. They rounded a corner when she suddenly stopped in her tracks and flung her hands backwards to halt Ino.

"What?" The blonde medic questioned, confused at the rozen woman's bizarre antics.

"Shhhh!" Sakura pulled Ino and hid behind the wall they had just rounded. "Be quiet."

Sakura edged herself stealthily and peeked around the wall; Ino followed tout suite and smiled triumphantly after seeing what Sakura had been eyeing off so intently.

"Pretty confident, huh?" Ino sneered at her. "Then why are we spying on them?"

"Just shut up! I can't hear what they're talking about!" Sakura hissed at her.

"They're at the opposite end of the street; we won't be able to hear _a _word what they're saying!"

The two squinted against the dark surroundings, trying to see and hear what Naruto, Sasuke and Karin were talking about. It was more like Naruto showing Karin the village of Konoha, acting as some sort of a "tour guide" while Sasuke looked utterly bored watching them. After a few minutes, Sasuke seemed jaded enough, and just raised his hand as a sign that he was taking his leave.

"He's going home." Whispered Ino disappointedly. Disappointed because they were not able to find a single piece of relevant evidence that would support their Karin-wants-to-steal-Sasuke theory. "Naruto and Karin have walked away too."

"I can see too, Pig. You don't have to give a blow-by-blow account of what's happening." After making sure that Sasuke had indeed entered their house, Sakura decided to cut their activity. "There's nothing. Guess I'll just go home."

"Okay. Just give me a call if you need my help!" Ino tittered with a wink.

Sakura rolled her eyes and waved at Ino as she walked away from their pathetic attempt of a hiding place.

Ino strutted down on the street, thinking of what might be Karin's hidden agenda on why she agreed to work for Konoha of all the places. She hadn't gotten ten steps ahead when someone spoke from behind the shadows.

"What are you up to?"

"S-Sasuke!" Ino gasped, clutching her chest in surprise and fear. "You scared me! W-we thought you'd already gone home!"

"You're not answering my question." Sasuke snapped frostily. "What are you up to?"

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Ino answered, her voice wavering ever so slightly at his intimidating build and general aura; Kami did he terrify her!

"You and Sakura were hiding behind the street's corner a while ago." He stated bluntly (like he was spelling out something blatantly simple to a fool like Naruto), looking directly at her. He had never liked Yamanaka Ino, especially when he had been going through the phases of adolescence. She was a loud-mouthed imbecile that talked far too much for his liking, and was practically liberated of any faults and past mistakes. The incident when Sakura had gone out on a 'date' with another man just because Ino had suggested that it would be of no harm did not improve his opinion on her, either. "Whatever it is, don't mess with our lives, Yamanaka."

oOo

* * *

oOo

Invasion of privacy.

She knew that he would be angry with her once he found out about what she had been doing. But as long as she was discreet and careful about it, everything would be safe—she would be fine, and her relationship with Sasuke would not be impacted upon. Furthermore, what she's doing couldn't be really counted as _spying_, much as she was just, uhm…checking up on him.

_"Really__?" Inner Sakura piped in sarcastically._

Ignoring her alter ego, Sakura resumed looking through her binoculars. Being on the highest floor of the hospital provided her with good view of the Hokage's building. Through the half-open window of a room at the end of the third floor of the executive building, she could see Karin, Naruto and Sasuke perfectly. There was paper—maybe a map—that was spread out across the table, a jumbo bowl of ramen on Naruto's side and a pen in Karin's dainty hands. It seemed that they were planning for their mission tomorrow.

Again, she felt another stab of jealousy upon seeing them huddled together. It should be _her_, not _Karin_.

Finally, she removed the binoculars from her eyes and rubbed her temples. Squinting through a binocular for hours had put a lot of strain on her eyes. She placed the binoculars back on the table and decided to take a nap. After she had passed her research work on to Tsunade the other day, she was given two free days, without any work. She wanted to go to a nearby hot spring outside of the village with her husband and friends, but since everyone was busy with their work or missions, she was left on her own. So instead she decided to use her free time to keep an eye on her husband. Well, she was keeping more of an eye on Karin than anybody else. She had a funny feeling that Ino might be right that Karin had agreed to work in Konoha because she was going to be placed on a mission with Sasuke.

They might think that she is paranoid, but she believes that a woman's instinct is almost _always_ right.

oOo

* * *

oOo

A sprawling map of the Earth Country was laid flat on the table, an X mark at the northeast part indicating the rumoured hideout of their target, and a few scattered thick black dots representing the allied forces of the enemies.

"But we will encounter a lot of forces there." Commented Karin with a frown; she had been the one who had supplied the numerous dots according to the information she had gathered several months ago on a separate assignment.

"So what? We can tackle them, easy!" Naruto exclaimed confidently, before taking a large slurp of ramen.

"Even though it _is_ the shortest route, the number of enemy units would slow us down; thus, taking a toll on our time and energy." Interjected Sasuke. "I suggest we take this route." He suggested, pointing to a zigzag line indicating rugged terrain.

"But that would take us days!" Naruto objected, almost very nearly whining. "And what if there's no food supply in there?"

Sasuke nodded calmly, taking Naruto's point. The Land of Earth is mostly comprised of desolate, rocky areas which meant that they would have difficulty garnering food supplies. "We would pass through a town before we take the rugged terrain, and we would replenish our food supplies there. It would take us roughly three to four days to scale the whole topography on the east side. Our chance of encountering rebel forces is slim because they don't usually camp on desolate areas, where food and water is scarce."

"I guess he has a point..." Karin added thoughtfully, a look of solid concentration adorning her features. "The main camp is heavily guarded by A-rank to S-rank ninjas. We have to conserve chakra in case the battle gets rough."

"Ah! Okay, I get the point, you two win!" conceded Naruto, raising his hands in surrender. Yet, as he did so, he accidentally knocked the bowl of ramen sitting on his right, causing it to topple side down on the table, spilling the broth and all of its contents.

Sasuke immediately seized the map off of the table. The top edge of the map was the only part drenched, yet it was his clothes that took the brunt of the repulsive spillage.

"Oops! _Gomen!_" Naruto hastily apologized and scooped up the ramen bowl.

"You really _are_ a dobe, aren't you?" Sasuke spat vehemently, his shirt and vest drenched and reeking of a mixture of noodles, meat and vegetables.

"I'll just get you a shirt!" Naruto filled in quickly, before Sasuke got any ideas to become more violent in his angered state. Without waiting for Sasuke to speak another word, Naruto disappeared in a thick cloud of white smoke, leaving the raven haired Uchiha and Karin alone.

oOo

* * *

oOo

Getting bored with reading magazines, Sakura decided to check up on Sasuke again. She picked up her binoculars and glided the leather-bound swivel chair to the open window. It took her a few seconds to focus the binoculars, and when she _finally_ got the image she was looking for, she saw something not suited to her taste.

At all.

Sasuke and Karin were _alone_ inside the room; Naruto was gone. There was no sign of the hyperactive knucklehead, which only kindled her suspicions further. It seemed to her that the two were talking about something serious. Naruto was not around so it couldn't be about their mission, right? Were they reminiscing about their past as former teammates of Team Taka? When Karin was interrogated several years ago, she said that she had no idea what had happened to their other two members—Juugo and Suigetsu—after the clash at the Land of Iron; whether the two survived it or not was a complete and utter mystery.

Sakura started to gnaw on her bottom lip. It was childhood habit of hers whenever she was feeling nervous or distressed.

Time to call Ino.

Keeping her left hand steady on the binoculars, Sakura reached out for the telephone and quickly dialled the number she knew only as the Yamanaka Flower Shop's. In the morning, Ino was the one managing the shop, and in the afternoon till night, she was usually at the hospital working as a medic.

The cord of the telephone was stretched just enough for Sakura to maintain her position at the window. The phone rang three times before someone answered. She immediately recognized Ino's voice.

"Ino! You've got to help me!"

"Sakura? Why, what happened?" Ino asked concernedly.

"I think Karin's flirting with Sasuke!" Sakura almost very nearly shrieked in alarm. "I need you to help me!"

"Oh." Was all Ino said.

"Hello, Ino-Pig?" Sakura called out, quite surprised with the lack of expression on Ino's part.

"Uhm, Sakura?" The blonde spoke slowly, enunciating very carefully as if explaining something to a petulant child. It was as if she was weighing down her words with an attained level of caution that Sakura didn't she had ever had before now. "I think you're just overanalyzing things, you know?"

"No!" Why can't Ino understand? "The two of them are ALONE inside a ROOM at the admin building! Do you understand? JUST THE TWO OF THEM!"

"Maybe they're just planning for their mission?"

"Why only the two of them then, huh? Naruto's not even around!"

"Sakura, relax." Coaxed Ino soothingly. "You can't count talking as flirting when you don't even know what they're talking about."

"But—" She placed the binoculars on her lap in a somewhat resigned manner.

"Stop stressing yourself with inconsequential things, alright?"

"Uhm, okay...?" Sakura replied, hesitance evident in her meek tone.

"There's a customer, I'll meet you for lunch at the hospital's cafeteria and we'll talk about it. Is that alright with you?"

"Okay…"

"Good. See you later, Forehead," said Ino. "Bye."

After Ino hung up, Sakura was left wondering what had happened with her best friend. Just a few nights ago, Ino was the one telling her that she's just around if she needed any help and was bent on supporting her against Karin. Now, it's as if Ino didn't believe in their Karin-wants-to-steal-Sasuke theory anymore.

Gliding towards the window, Sakura perched her elbows on the window sill and cradled her chin to her palms. She looked at the red-tiled roof of the Hokage's Mansion, the most noticeable edifice in Konoha aside from the Hokage Monument, where the faces of the previous and present Kages were carved.

She sighed despondently. No matter how reassuring Ino's words may have been, she was still quite agitated. Something was telling her that she would only be calmed if she was certain that nothing bizarre was going on between the pair. If nothing's really going on, she would throw away the binoculars and resume other worthwhile activities.

Again, she picked them up and zoomed it into focus. Sasuke and Karin were leaving the room by the time Sakura got the right focal angle. This left her with an empty room. She tried to follow the two by looking at the adjacent windows on same floor, yet the other windows were obscured by blinds or curtains, making it difficult for her to see if the two were still inside.

_Where are they?_

Then, she saw something black and red exit the administration building. She adjusted the central focusing barrel of her binoculars, which was used to modify the focal point of both lenses simultaneously, and found out that the two figures were Sasuke and Karin indeed.

Karin was walking a few feet ahead of Sasuke; Sasuke, in turn, was following her lead, or it could be that he was just purposely hanging behind to make it look like that they weren't walking _together_. The two turned left, left again, then veered to the right. Karin and Sasuke passed three more blocks, turned right once more, and stopped at a series of complex apartments. Karin knocked while Sasuke leaned against the opposite wall, expressionless. Then, the redhead simply pushed the door open, said something to Sasuke and together, the two entered inside.

_What the—?_

_"__Did you see that__?" Inner Sakura piped in incredulously. __"Did you see that? They entered an apartment, and it's just the two of them! Just the TWO of them!"_

"Maybe they just went to get something." Sakura argued back.

_"Then why not just leave Karin to collect the alleged 'item'? Sasuke didn't __need_ _follow her!" Inner Sakura shot back._

"Just wait a minute!" Sakura exclaimed hotly. "Just what are you insinuating?"

_"Hey, I'm not just the one insinuating. You have been suspicious all along too, and we are one being, remember?"_

"But it's just absurd!" Sakura cried in alarm. "It's not in Sasuke's nature to…to flirt or cheat."

_"But Sasuke is like any other man with physical needs too." Inner Sakura piped up chirpily. "A willing woman is very hard to resist; _especially _to a tempted man."_

"Are you saying that Sasuke is attracted to _that_ woman?"

_"They have been teammates too, remember? And Karin had helped him an awful lot back then. It could be possible."_

Biting her lower lip, Sakura lowered the binoculars and paced back and forth inside her cramped office space.

_No_, she told herself. The idea is just ridiculous. Ino is right. She must be overanalyzing the situation, blowing trivial things _way _out of proportion.

She peeked again through the binoculars. They haven't left there yet. What's taking them so long inside?

An hour passed and she still kept her eyes glued to the binoculars like what she had learned during ANBU tracking and assassination missions.

Then, another hour passed.

She squirmed in her seat. What's taking them that awfully long inside that damned apartment?

_"Don't just sit here, fool!" Inner Sakura barked at her. "DO SOMETHING!"_

Sakura stood up and clutched the binoculars hard against her palms. Yes, she needed to do something because she just couldn't stay cooped inside a room worrying to death. She has to be certain if something is actually going on.

The scorching heat of the afternoon sun did not dampen Sakura's spirits. It only added to the fury she was currently feeling at the moment. People walking by her stared at her curiously but none of them dared to ask her why she seemed to be in an awfully foul mood; not unless they wished for an untimely death as her response. It did not take her long to reach the series of similar-looking apartments. She stopped in her tracks as she recognized the door to which Sasuke and Karin had entered two hours earlier.

"This is Naruto's apartment..." She whispered breathily to herself.

_"Maybe Karin __did_ _say something to Naruto so that she could have Sasuke all alone then." Inner Sakura suddenly hypothesized. "Then, she led Sasuke here saying that they needed to get something from Naruto, and they were all alone and she started flirting and taking off—"_

"Shut up!" Sakura whispered to herself. "You are so not helping things!"

She immediately pushed open the door and spotted Sasuke at the dining table, who to her surprise, was wearing a new shirt and looked like he had just showered. On the other hand, Karin was brushing her hair in front of the mirror and at the same time, pleating the creases on her clothing.

"Sakura, what are you doing here?" Sasuke asked calmly, but there was the unmistakable tone of surprise in his voice.

"Oh. Hi." Was all Karin said.

_"What the—" Inner Sakura cursed heavily. "Did they just finish MAKING LOVE_ _with another?"_

Sakura ignored Inner Sakura's ramblings as she suddenly felt the room become blurry as her eyes narrowed and fixated on the red haired bespectacled woman standing a few feet away from her. A fiery heat surged through her veins and flowed throughout her body and she felt her knuckles flex involuntarily. Images barraged her mind: Sasuke and Karin naked, kissing each other lips and making wild love.

And she felt something inside her broke down, and a rush of unmistakable fury poured out. It was driving her crazy.

"HOW COULD YOU!" She shouted at them. Sasuke and Karin looked at her in stunned confusion.

"Sakura, what are you—"

Sakura ignored Sasuke and glared at Karin with pure malleable malice.

Slowly, Sakura started to walk towards her. "HOW DARE YOU!"

She pointed an accusing finger at her, before screaming at the top of her lungs, "I SAVED YOUR LIFE, YOU SLUT!"

And everything just slipped out of her control from that point onward.

oOo

* * *

A/N: Thank you for reading! PLEASE REVIEW! It encourages me to keep going on despite my schedule X P

To **Sasukeluva 4eva**: Thank you for correcting my grammatical errors, punctuation errors etc. You're such a big help!

So guys, what are you, Team Sakura or Team Karin?

Keep posted!


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Sorry for the late update! My training is eating up lots of hours and when I get home I'm so tired I just flop on bed and sleep. It took me quite some weeks to finish this chapter.

This is still UNEDITED so please bear with the grammatical errors, punctuations, syntax errors etc.

I'll post the revised chapter as soon as it was checked and edited.

Thanks for waiting!

Read and enjoy!

oOo

**Chapter 9**

"Sakura, what are you doing here?"

To his surprise, Sakura ignored him and focused her eyes instead on Karin, who seemed quite taken aback with Sakura's hard gaze. This brought him to immediately conclude that there was something wrong with her. Sakura is usually a bright and cheerful person; a social butterfly. A complete opposite to his dark personality.

"HOW COULD YOU!" Sakura suddenly bellowed, her loud voice jolting Sasuke out of wondering.

Karin stopped whatever she was doing in front of the mirror and turned to look at Sakura with a mixed expression of shock and confusion.

Her bright green eyes darkened with an unmistakable expression of anger. He saw her right hand formed into a tight fist, the veins becoming visible against her pale, taut skin. Then, he saw a familiar black item on her left hand.

A binocular?

How come she's using a binocular when she's been out of field mission for months?

"Sakura, what are you-" Sasuke tried to ask but his sentence was cut off when Sakura spoke out again.

"HOW DARE YOU!" Sakura yelled, her green eyes boring straight to Karin.

Questions filled his mind in rapid succession. What is she talking about? Why was she so angry with Karin?

He knew that Sakura and Karin were not enemies but they were not exactly friends either. As he had been told when he returned back to Konoha, Sakura had been the one who healed Karin and restored her back to full health.

But Karin had just arrived at Konoha a mere five days ago and she was mostly with him and Naruto everyday at the Hokage building, planning for their mission. Did something unfortunate happen between the two?

Slowly, Sakura walked towards Karin, her next words dripping with venom. "I SAVED YOUR LIFE, YOU SLUT!"

To Sasuke's absolute astonishment, Sakura slapped Karin hard on the face.

Karin held her side of face in absolute shock, unable to say anything in utter astonishment at what had just happened to her.

Sasuke stood behind them, at a loss on what to do. It must have been painful considering that it was Sakura and the force upon which the slap had been released.

Thinking that a shouting match would start, Sasuke decided to step backwards away from them. However, his prediction was wrong. Sakura jumped over and landed on top of Karin and started to pull on Karin's hair. On the other hand, Karin shrieked out loud in alarm and tried to fend off Sakura by pushing the latter's arms away from her. Yet, it was apparent that Sakura got the upper hand when it comes to physical strength.

It was a scene he had never seen before in all his twenty one years of life. Perhaps it's what they call "catfight" among women. If catfight is to women, then is dogfight to men?

He remembered the time when he and Naruto fought at the hospital rooftop when they were just twelve or thirteen and at the Valley of Death. To settle matters, men usually engage in physical fights. He did not know whether women engage in so called physical fights too because he only see the females fighting during competitions or on missions. He knew that women usually use their mouths instead of their fists whenever they have a misunderstanding. He remembered that Ino and Sakura used to bicker a lot with one another, their annoying high-pitched voices filling the air whenever they started to quarrel.

But this was different. He had never seen Sakura this angry before. Perhaps, this is what Naruto used to call "other Sakura." Yet, he was still wondering what happened between the two women that it came to this point.

Should he interfere?

_No_, he told his self. Just let them settle it on their own. Even though it was apparent that Sakura got the upper hand, he can't still stand to watch because of her pregnancy.

Karin was fending off Sakura's arms away and was trying to push Sakura away by nudging her legs.

"GET AWAY FROM ME!" Karin shrieked out and tried to push Sakura away.

Sasuke's eyes widened as he saw Karin caught Sakura's arms and forcefully pushed Sakura to the floor. For a split second, he saw a flash of grimace on Sakura's face. But it disappeared immediately because Sakura got up easily and grabbed Karin, who was getting up from the floor and started to tackle Karin once more.

_This is not good_, thought Sasuke. He can't just stand there and watch the two women fight because Sakura is pregnant and any physical blow on her might affect her pregnancy status. He grabbed Sakura from behind, encircled his arms around her midsection and started to pull her off from Karin.

"Let go of me!" Sakura cried in anger and started to bang her fists against his enclosed arms around her.

"WHAT'S YOUR PROBLEM?" Karin cried in fury as Sakura was started to be pulled away from her.

"YOU. ARE. MY. PROBLEM!" Sakura replied and pointed her finger shaking at Karin, every word dripping with anger. This seemed to incense Sakura further because she was able to wriggle out of Sasuke's hold and lunged after Karin again. She became more aggressive this time because she hit Karin pitilessly on the jaw and started to pull on Karin's hair again which caused the latter to shriek and cry in pain. Strands of red hair fell scattered on the floor as Sakura grabbed and pull some of Karin's red mane. "Think you can steal him from me, you slut! To think I saved your life before when I was asked to kill you?"

This time, Sasuke grabbed Sakura's arms and pinned it behind her back with one arm while he used his other arm to grab her around her midsection and lift her off above from Karin. However, Karin took this as an opportunity and out of hysteric, she tried to kick Sakura away from her. Seeing that Karin's kick would collide directly to Sakura's abdomen, Sasuke grabbed Sakura tightly and swerved her to the left and he received the sharp kick against his thigh.

Cursing inwardly, Sasuke struggled to keep hold Sakura and at the same time shield her away from Karin, who had gone hysterical.

"Let go of me! I said let go of me!" Sakura cried in fury, flailing her legs on the air.

"Sakura, stop moving!" He hissed directly on Sakura's ear. It was very difficult to hold Sakura still. It seemed that after being stagnant at the hospital for several months, Sakura was releasing all of her pent-up energy to Karin. The door behind them suddenly opened, revealing a smiling Naruto.

The smile on Naruto's face was instantly wiped out as the blonde registered the scene before him. "What's going on here?"

For a few precious seconds, his grip on Sakura relaxed. Sakura took this as an opportunity and pushed his arms away.

Sasuke tried to grab her arm but Sakura dismissed his arm away without looking, earning him non-purposed smack on the jaw. Sakura grabbed Karin, who was already trying to escape to the window and pulled her hair. To Naruto and Sasuke's horror, Sakura placed her hands on Karin's neck and tried to close her fingers while Karin digged her fingernails on Sakura's hands, trying to pry away Sakura's clamp-like grip on her neck.

Karin's immediately turned pale.

_She's out of control_, thought Sasuke with panic. He rushed forward and seized Sakura's wrists and pulled her arms behind her back while his other arm tried to protect her protruding abdomen. He turned to Naruto, who was still open-mouthed in shock and disbelief, the bag of ordered ramens forgotten beside him, for help. "Naruto, take Karin!"

Coming to his senses, Naruto went to Karin and dragged her to a safe corner. Karin panted heavily and opened her mouth to say something but she just coughed and gasped for air. Then, her eyes rolled and she lost consciousness.

Naruto looked at Sasuke and Sakura in confusion. "What happened?"

"Take her to the hospital," said Sasuke immediately. "We'll talk later."

Nodding, Naruto scooped Karin in his arms and disappeared in a thick, white cloud of smoke. Although Sakura swiftly stopped resisting, he did not relinquish his hold on her. Next, he performed a similar teleportation jutsu and transported both of them inside their own apartment. Once inside, he relinquished his hold on Sakura and turned her around to face him.

"Explain."

oOo

"Explain."

Surprised that his voice remained steady, Sasuke took two breaths to relax. His voice was of suppressed anger; like a calm before a storm.

Sakura averted her eyes from him and focused her gaze instead on the polished wood-panelled floor like it has suddenly become interesting to her. Her jaws were set rigid, a vein visibly pulsating against her jaw line and her small, delicate chin was slightly raised in a stubborn way as if showing him that she would not easily back down from him.

"Explain yourself, Sakura," Sasuke repeated firmly.

With her eyes still averted from him, Sakura replied. "I'm not the only one who needs to explain here."

Sasuke frowned, a small crease forming between his eyebrows. Is there anything he needs to explain? As far as he was concerned, it should be _her_ who needs to explain after what happened. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Sakura looked at him with narrowed green eyes and a hurt expression. "Don't deny it, Sasuke. I've seen it."

Frowning even more, Sasuke said. "I really don't know what you mean. Elaborate."

Sakura removed her eyes from him and pressed her lips tight. Then, she suddenly turned around and started walking away fast from him. However, Sasuke immediately caught up with her, grabbed her arm and forcefully turned her around to face him. "You need to explain, Sakura. Justify your actions because soon we would be summoned at the Hokage office."

Removing her arm from him angrily, Sakura stepped backwards away from him, her face flushing red in resentment at him. "You were having an affair with her!"

Her voice broke down from a high-pitched tone to a cracked, almost sorrowful one. "After everything I did for you… This marriage for convenience to revive your clan…," she whispered to herself but which Sasuke still heard perfectly clear. "If you don't like me anymore, you should have told me in the beginning… Well, I forgot you don't really like me, this marriage is just for your goal to revive your clan."

"Why don't you just go and strike an affair with every eligible woman here in Konoha and impregnate them?" Sakura suggested with mocking sarcasm. "That would be the fastest way of reviving your clan."

Sasuke stared at her with his mouth partly opened in awe and wonder. He did not know what to say. In a matter of seconds, Sakura's expression ranged from hurt to anger then to sarcasm. He never knew that women are capable of so many reactions in a short span of time.

Women are really…complex creatures.

Furthermore, what she had just said that he was having an affair with whom? Karin? He shook his head disbelievingly and involuntarily let out a dry laugh. "Me? Having an affair with Karin? That's ridiculous."

However, it was the wrong thing to say.

"Don't you dare say her name again!" Sakura cried out hysterically. "I've seen both of you from the Hokage building to Naruto's apartment with my own eyes."

"A baseless assumption," said Sasuke coolly, wondering how Sakura can be certain that he was having an affair with Karin. And how did she know that they were in Naruto's apartment? It was just supposed to be the three of them, him, Naruto and Karin who were supposed to meet there to continue their meeting because of the brat's suggestion, Naruto, being the leader of the mission.

Wait, had she been watching their every move?

Then, something clicked into his mind. He immediately slipped his hand into the weapons pouch behind him and brought out an item which Sakura had dropped earlier. Both of them stared at it and he showed it to her face. "Have you been spying on me?"

Blinking in surprise at the sight of the binoculars before her, it took some seconds for Sakura to manage a decent reply without stuttering.

"O-of course not!" She replied haughtily, keeping her chin raised. "I was merely sightseeing Konoha's scenic spots."

"Sightseeing, I see," repeated Sasuke in an emotionless tone. "Is there anything you have not yet seen here for the past twenty one years of your life?"

"There's nothing wrong with that!" Sakura shot back defensively.

Sasuke looked straight to her eyes and held her gaze for a fleeting moment, trying to see through her bright, green eyes which she's been trying to avert.

"You're lying," he said simply.

He took a few steps towards her while Sakura seemed to have lost her confidence and started to back away as he neared her. "You're been spying on me. You've been using these binoculars for your foolish purposes, watching our moves. You saw the two of us enter Naruto's apartment and immediately jumped into conclusions, didn't you?"

Gulping noticeably, Sakura shook away her nervousness and discomfort and tried to get back to her footing. "Fine, I admit it! I'm not the only one at fault in here! Why on Naruto's apartment then? And just the two of you?" She shot back sardonically.

Sasuke just shook his head in disbelief and smirked. "You have nothing but speculations. I don't have anything to explain."

oOo

Sitting uncomfortably in a pale brown, worn-out leather sofa chair in an enclosed room adjacent to the office of the Hokage, Sakura tried to pass time by reading a newly furnished copy of a medical pamphlet lying at the side table. She browsed through the contents and read the topics idly but five minutes had not yet passed when she dumped it back to its place.

It would be her turn soon.

As Sasuke had correctly predicted, a chuunin arrived by their home and gave them a message from the Hokage, summoning them to come by at the office as soon as possible. What happened between the three of them had eventually reached Tsunade and she was sure that they, no, she would be receiving a lot of flak from the Lady Godaime.

Sakura inspected the waiting room which had not changed so much over the years. The white walls had already lost its pure color and had deteriorated to a cream-like hue while the chairs and tables were still the same ones from the Third Hokage's reign. The portraits of the past and present Hokages were all lined up across from her, like court judges pondering what verdict to give to her. She wondered who would be the next portrait to be placed next to Tsunade.

Aside from Naruto, Shikamaru and Kakashi were the strongest candidates to get the position. However, it seems neither of the three is ready to take the post. Naruto hated paper works and would rather go on dangerous missions than be cooped up inside an office while Shikamaru often expressed that being a Hokage is too troublesome and would only take much of his time and energy. On the other hand, Kakashi is pretty lazy and is always late and she was sure that their former sensei would only delegate his tasks to his subordinates and go read his favourite Icha Icha series while lounging indolently at the office.

Finally, the door opened and she turned her head to see Sasuke and Shizune exiting the room. She wondered what Tsunade said to Sasuke because as usual, she can't discern him with his usual expressionless look.

"Sakura-san, come in," beckoned Shizune, who still had the small piglet Tonton tugging on her heels.

Standing up, Sakura followed Shizune and walked past Sasuke, their eyes meeting for the briefest moment until Shizune closed the door behind them.

Sitting behind her desk with her feet propped up on the desk, Tsunade was resting her chin on folded hands, a serious but thoughtful look painted across her features.

"Tsunade-sama," greeted Sakura respectfully.

The Lady Godaime returned the greeting with a nod. "I assume you already know why I called for you."

Sakura did not say anything but maintained her eyes levelled with the Hokage.

"Now I want to hear your explanation."

Cold sweat trickled from her nape down to curve of her back as Sakura pondered where to start. She could feel their eyes on her, even the piglet Tonton's black, round eyes looking and waiting for her. "She was trying to elicit an affair with Sasuke."

Tsunade's blonde eyebrows rose high. "I see, Karin was trying to elicit an affair with your husband. How can you prove it?"

"I saw them," replied Sakura. "They were having an intimate conversation and I saw the two of them enter an apartment."

The Lady Godaime brown eyes grew large as saucers in curiosity. "Did you hear what they're talking about?"

"Not really, I just saw the two of them talking quietly."

"Where?"

"In an empty room at this floor," replied Sakura, anger starting to boil. _Is Tsunade taking sides on this matter? This is unfair!_

"I assigned that room for them to have their last meeting before their mission tomorrow," said Tsunade, scratching her chin thoughtfully.

"But just the two of them? Naruto's the leader of the mission, right?" Sakura countered, her voice rising.

"I see," nodded Tsunade thoughtfully. "And where are you when they were having these 'intimate conversation'?

Sakura suddenly averted her eyes from the Tsunade and focused it instead on the stack of papers at the desk. "I don't think it's relevant."

"It is relevant, Sakura," said Tsunade with emphasis. "You were right when you said that they were at the last room on the second floor. I'm wondering how you were able to see them inside that room. Because you could've only manage to do that if you were hiding in an adjacent room or you were in a high building and had telescopic eyesight."

Sakura swallowed her saliva as she groped her mind to find another excuse but could not find anything. She wondered whether Sasuke have already told them that he found her binoculars and Tsunade was only trying to see if she would tell the truth. "I was at the hospital."

"Hospital?" Tsunade frowned at this answer. "I gave you a two day vacation because you have already finished your research work. Furthermore, the hospital is quite far from this building, how were you able to see them?"

Sakura closed her eyes before answering. "I used my binoculars."

To Sakura's amazement, Tsunade laughed at this answer, obviously surprised at her answer. It meant that Sasuke did not tell the Hokage that he found a pair of binoculars from her.

"Binoculars, I see," smiled Tsunade, shaking her head. "Why?"

"I was already suspecting and I just wanted to be certain."

"However, Sakura, seeing the two of them having a conversation is not enough reason to suspect that they were doing something. You've got to have a solid piece of evidence like pictures or contents of their conversation."

"Fine," retort Sakura. "I saw them enter Naruto's apartment and stayed there for hours. What do you think they're doing inside? Chatting? Still having their meeting?"

"Calm down, Sakura-san," said Shizune and gave her glass of water.

"I'm not taking sides on this matter, Sakura," said Tsunade calmly. "I've heard Karin, Sasuke and Naruto's side already. Even though I have already arrived at a conclusion after hearing all your sides, I believe that this is a personal issue that only those involved could settle. Sakura, you are my best student and one of the top medics here at Konoha. What do you think people would say if news would spread about your behaviour? Moreover, this problem had created a problem for us. It would cause a great deal of delay on their mission."

"Their mission at the Earth Country?" Sakura asked, her jealousy over being replaced by Karin in Team 7 resurfacing. "I did not render her physically incapable. I'm sure she just sustained very minor injuries. They could still resume that damn mission tomorrow night if not on the morning."

Tsunade nodded. "You're right, I've seen her condition a while ago, nothing serious. However," she looked at Shizune and sighed tiredly.

Shizune smiled weakly and decided to tell Sakura the problem. "Karin decided to quit from the mission."

"Quit?" Sakura asked surprised.

"Yes," said Tsunade. "She is my perfect choice as part of the mission. She had lived at Earth Country for some years and knows a great deal of information about everything in the country. I had difficulty of convincing her to be part of this mission. I had to offer her a generous amount of money and some benefits just to make her grab the mission. You know why?"

"No," replied Sakura, feeling an amount of ill at what's coming next.

"As we all know, Uchiha Sasuke tried to dispose of her several years ago when he was still Madara's ally. You know that, Sakura, because it was supposed to be you to dispose of Karin upon Sasuke's orders to prove that you were loyal to him. Instead, you did not and tried to kill Sasuke instead which failed miserably."

"You mean-" Stunned, Sakura could not finish her sentence and just slumped on a nearby chair. Yes, she remembered that incident several years ago when she encountered Sasuke. She told him that she wanted to go with him. To prove her loyalty to him, Sasuke ordered her to dispose of Karin upon Madara's suggestion. However, she was not able to do it and tried to kill him instead. Sasuke almost tried to kill her twice if not for Kakashi and Naruto's timely appearance.

But why? She thought Karin had grabbed the mission as an opportunity to be close again to Sasuke again.

Tsunade nodded. "Yes, she was still very much wary of him. I convinced her that Uchiha Sasuke was already pardoned and have returned back to our side and Naruto would be part of the mission so she need not to be scared."

"The main reason she did not want to come back to Konoha is Uchiha Sasuke."

oOo

Her small shoulders were drooped low like she was carrying a burden upon her shoulders. He can't see her facial expression because her back was turned to him and he was viewing her from the third floor of the Hokage he was sure that she was not happy with her talk with the Hokage.

He stepped closer to the window, watching Sakura's small figure on the street below walking slowly like she was unsure where to go. The sun had already dipped half of its body against the orange and blue expanse of the sky, a sign that night is fast approaching. He was scheduled to have an urgent meeting with the Hokage and Naruto to discuss the mission at the Earth Country.

Apparently, Karin had withdrawn form the mission because of what transpired between her and Sakura. She was not injured seriously but he learned that part of the terms and conditions on why she accepted the mission from Tsunade was her guaranteed safety while still _in _Konoha especially from _him_. Even though it was not him who had attacked her, Karin partly blamed him for what happened.

If their mission would be delayed because of Karin's subsequent withdrawal from the team, then better. In his opinion, he and Naruto could still do the mission alone without Karin's help although he would have to admit that it would be not easy without the redhead. He had learned that Karin had worked in several countries for the past years including Earth Country, making her an indispensable ally because she knew a lot of contact persons and hidden data about the place.

There are only two possibilities: the mission would be delayed until a replacement would be given or it would still convene even with him and Naruto alone. Either of the two possibilities would be fine with him. The mission to Earth Country would take more than a month but he had already arranged matters with regards to Sakura's safety. He had already talked to the Hokage about the matter and she had agreed with his proposal. He was sure that Sakura would disagree and reason out that the unknown spy had already left her for good. Still, he can't take chances because he had this ill feeling that the unknown spy's motive was not just pure information gathering.

Besides, Naruto would be with him on the mission while Kakashi had not yet returned from his assignment, leaving him no choice but to take the matters on his own and decide for her welfare. Naruto and Kakashi were the only people whom he can fully entrust her safety and without either of the two, he needed to ensure that her life and of the unborn child's are out of any form of danger.

oOo

Clutching the small flower pot between her small hands, Sakura took three quick breaths as she waited for the door to open. She had tried her best to mask her chakra signature as much as possible yet she knew that Karin can still sense her. The pristine white door of the hospital door emitted a soft almost noiseless creak as it opened revealing an anxious Naruto.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto greeted in a fake cheerful way although it was obvious that he was anxious.

A soft flurry of voices coming from inside the room reached her ears. Sakura tried to peek through the small opening between the door and wall to see the people present inside the room. "I wish to talk to her, Naruto."

Naruto averted his blue eyes from Sakura, a sign that he is truly anxious and he did not know how to explain some things to her. "Er, I don't think it's a good idea right now, Sakura-chan."

Instead of turning away, Sakura pushed past Naruto and came to see the full view of the hospital room and people inside. Karin was perched upright on the bed while Shikamaru and Shizune were sitting on a sofa chair a few feet away from Karin. They suddenly stopped talking as she stepped inside and the atmosphere gradually thickened with a palpable tension.

"What are you doing here?" Karin snapped angrily at her.

Clearing her throat to speak audibly, Sakura said calmly and clearly. "I wish to talk to you privately and to see if you're okay."

"To see if I'm okay?" Karin repeated the words in a tone of intentional mockery. She furiously pointed an accusing finger at her. "You were the one who did this to me! You nearly choked me to death and now you're acting like you're concerned for my welfare?"

Karin's eyes glinted with anger. "Quit the sweet image and GET OUT."

Speechless, Sakura took an involuntary step backwards, her cheeks reddening in embarrassment and guilt. She was about to turn away when she felt Naruto come up in front of her and speak.

"Hey, that's unfair! Sakura came here to explain, you should hear her out!"

"Why, did she ever let me speak a while ago? NO! She just attacked me without any word of explanation!" Karin spat, springing up from the bed, looking eagerly as if she wanted to pour out all her anger to the two Team 7 members.

"Oi!" Shikamaru called out, coming quickly to restrain Karin from springing up towards Sakura. "Calm down!"

Even though Shikamaru had her physically restrained, Karin's mouth was still free. "First it was Madara and Sasuke who tried to dispose of me and now it's you. What's it with Uchihas wanting me dead?" She cocked an eyebrow at Sakura. "I swear I'm not gonna step foot here in Konoha again because I'm sure that unborn child of yours would try to kill me too someday."

_This is going too far,_ thought Sakura. What does she mean by that statement? That just because of the atrocities Sasuke had committed in the past means that their child would be the same? "Watch your mouth, Karin or you're not going to live to see even that day."

"Get out!"

"Fine," said Sakura in a surprisingly calm manner. With her chin still raised in a dignified manner, Sakura spun around on her heels and turned around to leave the room without as any glance to the people behind. She walked along the hallway of the hospital in an agitated and violent manner that the floorboards have creaked in complaint.

"Sakura-chan!"

Stopping on her tracks, Sakura turned around to see Naruto catching up on her and raised a questioning brow at him.

"I want to hear your side."

Sighing heavily, Sakura motioned for him to come with her as she started to give her side and reason for the recent event. It would be her fourth explanation after Sasuke, Tsunade and Ino and it was already tiring to relate it again. Yet, she felt compelled to do so because was with them when it happened and as her best friend, he too deserved an explanation. "By the way thanks for standing up for me a while ago."

Shrugging as if it's just a natural thing for him to do so, Naruto said. "Nah, of course you're my friend."

Throughout her explanation, Naruto did not interrupt her and just listened until she was finished.

"But I was with them during the meeting," said Naruto after Sakura had finished. "Did Sasuke explain why I left and why they went to my apartment?"

"No," replied Sakura with a disappointed shake of head. "He said he need not to explain anymore."

To her surprise, Naruto chuckled. "Arrogant bastard."

"Actually," started Naruto. "I accidentally spilled my ramen on him during our meeting at the Hokage building and I offered to get him a replacement shirt and vest."

"I see," nodded Sakura absentmindedly. "But what are they doing at your apartment? And just the two of them? Don't tell me it's still a meting for your mission."

"It's still a meeting," said Naruto much to Sakura's doubt. "It's sort of a meeting slash welcome party before our mission tomorrow. I decided to have it on my place so we could relax. I even went to your house to invite you too."

Sakura's face fell at this explanation, remembering what she did just this afternoon. She did not really catch Karin and Sasuke doing something immoral. In fact, there's really nothing to doubt between the two. Like what Ino said, she was overanalyzing things and jumping into conclusions easily.

Naruto nudged her on the side playfully. "Sasuke may not be the talkative and sweet type of guy but I'm certain that he cares for you."

Sakura let out a dry laugh at this statement and shook her head disbelievingly. "Really."

"Of course," grinned back Naruto. "We're like brothers. I know him through and through."

oOo

"Go on, mock me."

"What?" Sasuke asked confusingly, sitting upright from the futon.

"You want to hear it right from me. Fine, I was wrong and it was my entire fault," said Sakura tonelessly while lying on the futon beside him, her green eyes staring at the ceiling. "Go on, mock me. Make fun of me."

Unable to say anything, Sasuke merely looked at her quite worried with her bizarre action. "What was done was done."

Sakura continued looking at the wooden ceiling as if it contained the answers she was looking for. "What will happen to your mission tomorrow?"

"It would still convene."

"With a lack of member?"

"I'm certain we can manage even without her," answered Sasuke, wondering what's going on inside her mind. Usually, he can read Sakura easily with her soft nature but outspoken personality. Now, she barely speaks and she seemed to be aloof and preoccupied with her thoughts.

"I'm sorry," she whispered quietly.

What happened that afternoon just showed the lack of trust and communication between them. It is not surprising though because in the first place, there was really no commitment on both of them. Their marriage was merely a ceremony, a formality to serve his purpose of reviving his clan. "Just forget about it."

Hearing no reply from her, Sasuke assumed that she had fallen asleep and went back to the futon, pulling the covers up to his shoulders. Closing his eyes, he was about to allow fatigue and rest to take over him when he felt a rustling of fabric beside him. Then, he heard a short shuffling of cotton slippers against the wooden flooring.

He did not get up, thinking that she might just go to the bathroom or to the kitchen to get some water to drink. Without moving, he remained steady in his straight sleeping position.

To an ordinary civilian, he might look like a person who was fast asleep. But in reality, even with his sleep, he kept his entire senses active, alert for any strange sound, movement or chakra presence. It is a habit deeply ingrained on all shinobis borne out of more than a decade worth of training and field mission experiences.

An estimated minute had passed but she had not yet returned.

All of a sudden, he bolted out from the bed when he heard the iron gates creaked open. He swiftly jumped out from the window, grabbed his sandals, put them on and went to catch up on her.

"Where are you going?" He asked in an angry, low whisper.

"I'm going to talk to her," replied Sakura indifferently. "Maybe I can persuade her not to back out from the mission."

"I told you we don't need her," emphasized Sasuke. "It's close to midnight and you're going out alone? What do you think are you doing?"

"I can protect myself," she said haughtily. "Besides, I was the one who started this mess and I'm going to fix this."

Sighing exasperatedly, Sasuke gave up and just walked alongside with her.

"You're going with me?" Sakura asked with a disapproving frown.

Sasuke nodded.

"What? No!" Sakura stamped down her foot in complaint. "I can fix this on my own."

"I would accompany you until outside the hospital room only," cleared Sasuke in a bored tone, putting his hands inside the pockets of his dark cardigan shorts.

"You don't really have to," complained Sakura, a light tinge of pink forming on her cheeks. "I told you I can-"

"You're lagging behind," cut off Sasuke with a smirk. "Walk faster."

oOo

"What are you doing here?" Karin snapped, sitting upright on bed and putting the glasses on her eyes.

In a calm manner, Sakura ignored her angry welcome statement and just said, "I want to have a word with you."

Karin's eyes narrowed at her with utmost dislike and distrust. The red-head turned to the young man in white uniform sitting languidly a few feet away from them. "Get her out."

The young man, obviously a genin with age ranging from 13 to 15, looked at Karin then to Sakura and spoke with obvious hesitation. "Um, Sakura-san, would you please-"

"If I said no, would you throw me out?" Sakura cut off with a sugar-coated voice and a testing smile.

"Not really… I mean I don't want to…" The young man searched for the right words, scratching the back of his head problematically.

"How dare you use your pregnancy and position here in the hospital to blackmail this guy?" Karin said with gritted teeth.

Once again, Sakura ignored Karin's comment and turned to the young man and smiled genuinely. "I just want to talk to her privately, that's all. You can have my word."

The young man blushed, stuttered an incomprehensible reply and bowed on his way out of the room.

"Now it's just the two of us."

Mouth opened partially in disbelief after her assigned security left her without a word, Karin spun towards Sakura. "Don't you dare come within three feet of me or-"

"Or?" Sakura repeated sweetly.

"I'm not going to hold back even though you're pregnant," said Karin in a serious tone.

An eerie tension-filled silence filled the room as the two women, one pink-haired pregnant standing calmly and the other red-head sitting upright on the bed, muscles arched and tensed, ready to spring for any attack. The two looked at one another, waiting for any wrong move that could trigger another fight.

"I came here to talk to you, that's all," said Sakura. "If you still wish not to hear me out, then fine I will leave."

Sakura stepped backwards and spun around on her heel, walking away when Karin spoke in a low, hesitant tone. "Five minutes."

A small smile tugged on the corner of Sakura's mouth as she turned to face Karin once again. "Thank you. Can I start now?"

Startled, Karin looked around the room for a clock and threw her a baleful look. "Yes."

"Since I only have five minutes, I'll make it brief. I came here primarily to," Sakura sucked a deep breath as if the words were too heavy for her to say. "-to apologize for what I did to you. I did it because I was jealous of you."

"Jealous?"

Nodding, Sakura continued. "Yes, I'm jealous of you because of Sasuke and Team 7."

"I…I don't understand," said Karin. "You thought I was having an affair with Uchiha Sasuke?"

Sakura nodded.

"But that's ridiculous!" Karin said, shaking her head. "He's the main reason why I don't want to go back here and even more to accept Tsunade's offer."

"Yeah, I've heard."

"Tsunade convinced me that he had changed and had gone back to Konoha's side. Still, I was apprehensive of him. And what do you mean with Team 7?"

Sakura sighed, her next words sounding foolish even to her own ears. "It's not just about you; it's also about Team 7. I felt like you're starting to take away my position as member of Team 7. You know ever since I became pregnant, I stopped accepting missions."

"That's silly. I'm only here just for that mission," said Karin.

"Well, simply put, I easily jumped into conclusions," admitted Sakura.

"Oh…" was all Karin said. To Sakura's relief, Karin smiled and extended an open hand to her. "I apologize too for my rudeness."

"It is to be expected," grinned Sakura.

"Now we're even," Karin grinned back. She pointed to the clock. "You still have a minute left."

"One more thing," said Sakura, turning serious. "I want to ask a favour from you."

Karin raised her brow in question.

"Because of what happened, you backed out from the mission leaving Sasuke and Naruto alone. I know it's too much to ask after what I did but," Sakura paused for some seconds. "Would you please join the mission again?"

"Oh," said Karin. Then, she smiled sadly at her. "I'm sorry, Sakura-san. But I'm leaving tomorrow morning."

"But why? I was the one at fault not Sasuke, Naruto or Tsunade. They will be shorthanded on their mission tomorrow."

"I'm certain they can manage without me. I already gave them more than enough information about the place and my contacts. What happened is like a blessing in disguise. I was really uncomfortable being around him especially after what happened years ago although I know and understand that he had really changed." Karin looked at the door as if seeing Uchiha Sasuke outside.

"A mission's success is partly behind the member's cooperation and camaraderie. I just can't fit in," she said with a shrug.

"You know when Naruto left us for a few hours this afternoon?" Karin added. "We barely talked and it was really awkward. I can't really stand being around him anymore. I hate to admit it but I'm still scared of him."

Sakura remembered when she saw them at Naruto's apartment that afternoon. Sasuke and Karin were not talking and they were distanced away from one another. Moreover, Karin appeared tensed and seemed ridiculously focused on fixing her hair and clothes.

"Is that your final decision? Can I do anything to make you accept the mission again?"

Karin smiled and shook her head. "I'm sorry, Sakura-san."

Sakura nodded. "Well, thanks for listening my side and accepting my apology. Five minutes had already passed. See you again sometime when I start taking missions again."

Sakura bid her goodbye and was about to leave the room when Karin popped an unexpected question.

"Why did you and Naruto accept him after all what happened? I mean he betrayed the village. He fought with Naruto and even aided Madara in capturing the Kyuubi. He tried to kill you too. Twice," she asked emphasizing the last word.

Sakura remembered the incident and just smiled. It was like a nightmare but it all belonged to the past now. "You know when you truly care for someone, their mistakes never changes your feelings because it is the mind that gets angry but the heart still cares."

Pathetic as it may be, but in her case, love is quite…blind after all.

oOo

A/N: Please REVIEW!


	10. Chapter 10

This is Chapter 10 and please bear with the grammatical errors.

oOo

* * *

**Chapter 10**

* * *

"Don't tell me you're still gonna accompany me until inside the ladies cubicle?" Sakura asked, one eyebrow raised at the young shinobi tailing behind her.

"Of course not!" Konohamaru stamped his foot indignantly. "I'm no pervert and besides, there's nothing worth seeing on you – OUCH!"

Konohamaru glared at her. "What was that for?"

"Serves you right," muttered Sakura without any remorse. And before the young lad could utter another reply, Sakura went inside the ladies' comfort room, closing it with a loud noise.

The women's comfort room, immaculately white-tiled, has five cubicles and three sinks with a single long, horizontal mirror stretched across. Being the only occupant, Sakura had the leisure of choosing the cleanest cubicle. After using it, she went to the sink and washed her hands thoroughly, thinking about the set-up Sasuke had made when he left for Earth Country.

"Unfair! Totally unfair!" She complained to her reflection. "How could he assign someone to guard me without even asking me if I wanted to? And as if I'm totally incapable of defending myself… And Tsunade even granted it to a kid?"

"Konohamaru just passed his chuunin exams seven months ago," reminded Inner Sakura, looking thoroughly bored. "I wonder when would Sasuke arrive?"

"I don't care! He's still annoying! Always on my tail everywhere I go while muttering side comments how ridiculous his mission was when he's already a chuunin." Like she was the one who asked for this!

Apparently, Sasuke had requested Tsunade to give her a bodyguard while he was away. And lo and behold, just an hour after Naruto and Sasuke left for their mission, Konohamaru was already on her doorstep. And there he was, escorting her whenever she goes: to the hospital, grocery, Yamanaka flower shop, practically everywhere for almost twenty four hours a day.

"Just bear with it until Naruto and Sasuke returned or Kakashi at least," consoled Inner Sakura.

"Such a pain in the ass," muttered Sakura irritably. She dried her hands using sheets of paper towels and was about to turn around and make her way towards the door when a ridiculous idea hits her.

And a mischievous smile made its way to her face. "He kept complaining how boring and ridiculous his mission is? I'll give him a challenge."

oOo

* * *

"Ah! It's so nice to be back!" Naruto exclaimed loudly, stretching his hands over his head, his actions and loud voice drawing the attention of passers-by. "Earth Country's is almost rocks and rugged terrains, no greens to be seen."

"…"

"I wonder how's Hinata's doing," Naruto muttered absentmindedly.

"…"

"I hope she's finished with her mission," he said to his self, answering his own question after a lack of response from his partner. He was used to it. He suddenly nudged his partner on the side.

"What?"

"Say, Teme, how about we go at Ichiraku later with Hinata and Sakura-chan? Like a double date, y'know? It'll be fun!"

"No," was Sasuke's immediate answer.

"Come on," coaxed Naruto, nudging his partner hard at the ribs "Fine, it's not a double date anymore since you and Sakura were technically married already, leaving just me and Hinata as the dating couple."

"No," repeated Sasuke.

"Why?" Naruto asked, frustrated.

"I have … other things to do," replied Sasuke vaguely.

"Like what?" Naruto pressed on, obviously spotting Sasuke's lie.

Sasuke threw him an irritated side glance. "That is none of your concern."

"But we just came from a mission!" Naruto said exasperatedly. "We need to chill out and relax too!"

"Then go ahead."

"You're such a killjoy, y'know," grunted Naruto. Then, he remembered something. "It's Sakura-chan's birthday this week, right? I need to buy a gift! You already have something for her, Teme?"

"None."

"Something in mind? Any idea what to give her? I could help you."

"None."

Naruto frowned. "You should give her something unique and special."

"It's not my thing, giving gifts," said Sasuke.

"But-"

"I'll just give you the money and go buy her one," cut off Sasuke.

"You're really hopeless!" Naruto exclaimed in exasperation, ruffling the back of his blonde hair. "Hey, what's wrong?"

To Naruto's bewilderment, Sasuke suddenly stopped walking causing him to bump on the former. "Is something wrong?"

It seemed that the Uchiha was intently looking at someone far away and after a few seconds, before Naruto could discern what caught Sasuke's attention, the bizarre-acting Uchiha jumped over the top of the wall and ran, leaving Naruto more than confused.

"Oi! Teme!" Naruto called out and ran to follow.

After passing three blocks of houses, Sasuke leapt down on the road in front of a familiar brown-haired young shinobi.

"Oi, Konohamaru!" Naruto called out happily, waving at the lad exuberantly until he stepped down to the road beside them.

"Where is she?" Sasuke asked Konohamaru quietly.

The grandson of the Third Hokage was not able to return Naruto's greeting, seemingly rooted on the Uchiha's fixed gaze. "I-I don't know. "

"What do you mean _you don't know_?"

"I was waiting for her outside the women's CR when it took her past an hour already. When I knocked to call her out, she did not respond. I immediately went inside but she was…gone," he finished in an embarrassed small voice.

"That was a very simple mission."

"I…I'm sorry," said Konohamaru, hunging his head low in shame.

Sasuke looked at the young chuunin and decided it's not the time to scold him. "What time you lost track of her?"

"Before noon, I think," replied Konohamaru.

"Excuse me," interrupted Naruto loudly. "Care to tell me what's happening?"

"Any signs of struggle? Are there any suspicious people who entered?"

"It's clean and the women who have entered and the ones who came out were the same."

"And you still haven't found her until now?"

Konohamaru nodded meekly. "I've been looking for her all day."

"Hey, tell me what's happening! Maybe I can help," said Naruto irritatedly. He hated being left out of conversations (although he was not really part of the conversation at all).

"I was assigned to protect Sakura-san until one of you arrived from your mission or Kakashi arrives. Unfortunately, I…lost her," he admitted in a voice that suggested self-anger and deflated self confidence.

"Oh…" Worry began to cross Naruto's features at this news.

"We'll split up and look for her," said Sasuke in a serious, low voice, getting the two's attention. "If anyone of us finds her, send a signal into the sky immediately especially if there's an enemy involved. Keep in mind her delicate condition. In the event that we could not find her until twenty four hours have elapsed, we would report it to the Hokage."

Konohamaru nodded vigorously at Sasuke's every word, trying to show he's serious and committed on finding Sakura and fulfilling his mission. "Understood!"

"I'll take east then," said Naruto.

"I'll get south and west!" Konohamaru immediately said after Naruto.

Sasuke looked at the young shinobi, wondering if he was serious and saw the eagerness and determination on the young lad. He agreed to it after a few seconds of thinking. "I'll get the central and north."

And from where they stood, the three split up in separate directions.

oOo

* * *

There was a low bout of girlish giggles as the women were made to leave the comfort room by the manager, passing by him and giving him curious stares. Finally after all of them left, he was given the chance and privacy to investigate. He immediately proceeded to inspect the ceiling, walls and each cubicle. Like what Konohamaru said, there were no traces of fighting or abduction.

Not a single scratch or impact upon the walls to support his suspicion of kidnapping.

What really happened to her? Had she really been abducted? How and why?

He should have requested for a female shinobi so that she could even be guarded even here in the women's comfort room. But it was too late to think about that now that she's gone.

How was she abducted? Sakura would never give in without at least some defense and Konohamaru should have sensed any foreign chakra.

Once again, he checked the room, pausing now and then to inspect the walls, ceilings and each of the cubicles with further concentration. This time he activated his Sharingan to unveil any genjutsu hiding any signs of fight. He kicked open the door of the last cubicle in anger and irritation of finding nothing. Then, he noticed something on behind the tiled walls behind the second to the last toilet seat. Deactivating his Sharingan, Sasuke went closer to the tiled walls and inspected it.

Touching the outlines of the edges of each tile, he ran his fingers across the edges forming a three by three foot size of square. He tried giving it a hard push and to his surprise, the tiled walls budged forward until a gush of fresh open air greeted him. The three-by-three foot size of carved tiles fell to a nearby thick bush and when Sasuke stepped out, he found his self at a deserted alley leading to the main street he had walked upon earlier.

He picked up the three-by-three carved tiled walls and placed it back to its original position. From outside, he could now clearly see that the wall was sliced evenly into a small square enough for a human to get out. It was no wonder Konohamaru did not notice it in the first place, because only upon closer scrutiny one could see the cleanly sliced edges of the tiles.

It could have not been done using a kunai or katana because these metal weapons would make a screeching sound against the tiles and leave ugly noticeable marks on the walls.

A mixed feeling of relief and anger welled up inside him as he immediately reached a conclusion. There's only one sharp object he could think of that could have cleanly sliced the walls noiselessly and without leaving a mark.

Like a chakra scalpel.

oOo

* * *

Standing on her tiptoes, Sakura reached up to pick a box of powdered milk for pregnant women and placed it on her push cart along with the other supplies she had picked up for the last two hours. She was able to do a lot of things since she got rid of Konohamaru that noon. She went to research on the library about the latest updates on field and hospital medicine and now do some grocery shopping as long as she wanted to without having to endure Konohamaru's non-stop whispered complaints.

A crease formed between her brows as she imagined the level of anxiety on Konohamaru's part now that she had been missing since noon morning. He should be able to find her in twenty-four hours or find a substantial evidence to report that she was abducted or missing.

A feeling of guilt and pity engulfed her. Maybe she won't really go as far as twenty-four hours. As soon as she was finished with her grocery shopping, she would just show up in a public place and pretend that she's waiting for him.

The grocery cart was now full with food and supplies that could last for a month. It's just really her and Sasuke but she had to buy extra food because Kakashi and Naruto's constant lounging around the house drains their food supplies. In addition to the fact that she would be spending her twenty-second birthday this weekend and she would be inviting lots of guests to come over.

As she lined up towards the cashier and patiently waited for her turn, she saw someone entered the small supermarket. Her heart skipped a beat and suddenly it was racing fast as the familiar person entered and scanned the place.

"Sasuke," she whispered in nervousness. He had already finished his mission at Earth Country and obviously, he was looking for her. It could only mean one thing. Konohamaru had told him that she was missing.

Could it be that he had already discovered what she did at the women's comfort room too?

Possible.

Possibly not, too.

She bit her lower lip in nervousness. Anyway, she was quite sure that he won't be able to spot her in this swarm of people even if he passed by her position. Acting as normal as possible, she did veer away from the line and acted bored like the civilians waiting at the queue.

"Please go away," she whispered worriedly.

Her nervousness escalated further as Sasuke went through the towering shelves of foods and supplies until he reached the last shelf and went towards the long line at the cashier. She felt his eyes glance over at the line, his dark eyes lingering a few seconds longer at her and to another pregnant woman a few feet behind her.

To her immense relief, it seemed that Sasuke gave up and left the place. After paying at the cashier, Sakura picked up the large bags of groceries and hurriedly walked away. She needed to find Konohamaru and sort things out with the young shinobi. Maybe she could persuade or trick him that she did not notice that she already left the women's comfort room and she had also been looking for him all day.

Yeah, maybe that's good enough even though it sounded quite shallow and stupid even to her own ears.

A man in bright yellow apron and cap with a printed name of the grocery store approached her and asked to help her on her grocery bags. Obviously because she was pregnant. She declined the offer politely. The young man gazed at her in amazement as she picked the heavy grocery bags easily like it weigh just a small piece of bread and hurried away. She needed to find Konohamaru as soon as possible.

She had barely walked five blocks away from the grocery store when she felt something dropped behind her. Not something but rather someone dropped behind her. The sound of sandals muffled against the dusty pavement.

"Think it's funny to play hide and seek, don't you?"

Her fingers clutched the heavy plastic bags and she immediately searched her brain for a good alibi. What if she pretended to not know him? She was in a disguise after all.

"Do I need to dispel that transformation jutsu for you, Sakura?" Sasuke asked quietly.

She closed her eyes and bit her lower lip, a deeply ingrained habit that comes up whenever she's caught in an undesirable situation.

"Like when fabricating a lie," taunted Inner Sakura.

A thin puff of white smoke engulfed her and instantly, as the smoke dissipated, it revealed her true appearance. The dark hair turned back to its original pastel pink color and her tan skin lightened considerably. The pointed nose shrank back to its usual form and the large mole on her upper left lip vanished.

"It's no wonder Konohamaru had difficulty searching for you," said Sasuke in a cool voice.

Irritation poured forth inside her veins as Konohamaru's name came up. No, she should not really be angry with that young shinobi. Konohamaru had just accepted a mission, it's not his fault. It was Sasuke's idea to place someone to guard her without even asking her if she wanted to.

In short, without her knowledge and consent.

"I told you I'm no longer in danger and I can still defend myself with some weapons and poisons," Sakura scowled back at him.

"It is for your safety."

"Really," muttered Sakura in a humorless tone, not believing his words. "So I should be even thankful?"

oOo

* * *

Whatever problem that transpired between her and Sasuke had gradually been forgotten after several days of not speaking about the subject. As stated in his mission brief, Konohamaru's assignment was finished as soon as any between Sasuke, Naruto or Kakashi arrived. She had given Sasuke the cold treatment since he arrived from Earth Country. However, much to her annoyance, he seemed perfectly indifferent and unaffected.

This day she decided to totally forget about it and just enjoy the rest of the night. There were lots of people invited but only a handful were about to attend since some were still on their respective missions including Kakashi, whom she have not seen for two months already.

The long mahogany table was laid with many homecooked specialty dishes which she and her mother had painstakingly prepared since morning. Sake was also overflowing the room, having lots of flavours and intensity to choose from. She flinched as she heard someone outside their garden vomited.

"Happy birthday, Sakura-chan!" Ten-ten greeted and gave her a warm hug. "Your tummy's real big now! Girl or boy?"

"It's going to be a boy," beamed Sakura. She had just visited her doctor three days ago and confirmed the identity of the child.

"A male Uchiha as your first born? Oh, congratulations!" Ten-ten exclaimed. "Bet Uchiha's happy."

Sakura just nodded then ushered Tenten to the table where Ino, Hinata, Tsunade and Shizune were eating together. She casted a long glance at the small group of men including Shikamaru, Chouji, Lee, Kiba, Naruto and Sasuke on the veranda, drinking their hearts out.

A silly smile pulled its way up on the corner of her mouth as she did not know whether to make fun or pity Sasuke. It was pretty obvious that he was still having a hard time bonding with them even if he had returned five years ago.

It was no secret between their batch that Chouji, Lee, Neji, Kiba, Shikamaru and Naruto risked their lives considerably to retrieve him when he went off with four of Orochimaru's Sound-nins. It was a failed mission because they were not able to get him back and they nearly died if not for the timely arrival of the Sand siblings.

Maybe they had just partly forgiven him. Becoming a missing-nin was acceptable but helping aid in attacking your own village and its people was another matter. Still, she knew it in her heart that Sasuke had changed and he was paying for what he'd done in the past by accepting S-class missions, risking his life to prove his loyalty once again.

It was really Naruto who helps keep him connected with other people.

"He is," she answered Tenten.

There was another clink of wind chimes as another guest arrived. She turned around and her eyes widened as she ran towards her unexpected guest, who as usual, arrived late.

"Kakashi!" She threw her hands around the Copy-nin's neck and hugged him. "You came!"

Kakashi patted the top of Sakura's head affectionately. "You're bigger than the last time I've seen you."

Removing her arms from him, Sakura step a little away from him and snorted. "Of course, the baby grows! Baka! It would be weird if it gets smaller."

Kakashi laughed and ruffled her pink hair. "I'm just kidding. I'm still not used to it. You're the baby in our group."

"Well, the 'baby' is going to have a baby," answered Sakura.

"Witty," chuckled Kakashi.

"Anyway, thanks for coming on my birthday. I haven't seen you for two months!"

"I would not want to miss it again like the last time."

"Well, come on and grab some food. You can join Naruto and Sasuke or if you would prefer another company," said Sakura slyly. She pointed her finger to a far-off corner. "Rin is over there."

Kakashi chuckled as if she pulled a joke but it was obvious by the sudden sparkle of his visible eye that he preferred the latter. So Sakura pulled him by the elbow and led him to the buffet table then called out Rin to join him.

Hours passed and before she knew it, it was past midnight already and the crowd have already thinned out. Deciding to be alone and rest for a while, she went outside to the backyard garden and sat on the grass. Next, she stretched out her legs and flexed each of her toefingers.

She sighed in relief. The weight of her abdomen have been putting much pressure on her lower extremities that she started developing varicose veins on her ankles. Yet, she does not feel exhausted. In fact, she felt energized, feeling the need to something to focus her boredom and energy.

A rustle of grass made her turn her head and was surprised to see Naruto walking towards her with a foolish grin plastered on his face. It's as if he was planning to sneak from behind and scare her but failed to do so.

"Hey, birthday girl you're alone. Is there anything wrong?" Naruto asked, sitting beside her.

"Nothing, just wanted to rest my feet."

"It's going to be a boy, right?" Naruto asked, pointing on her abdomen.

"Yeah."

"Do you already have a name in mind?"

Sakura shrugged. The thought have not occurred to her yet. "None so far."

"I'll help you, then," suggested Naruto.

Raising her eyebrow, Sakura teased him. "Really. Since when did you become good in giving names?"

"I'm pretty creative in giving names," said Naruto. "You wait here."

He got up to his feet and shuffled his way back inside then after a few seconds, came back with a pen and paper. "Let's get started!"

"You're really serious?"

Naruto's excitement was contagious and in no time, they started jotting down names after names, crossing out ones she didn't like and encircling the ones left. It was fun because Naruto kept suggesting names which were either funny or didn't suit her taste.

Then, a name occurred to her. It was not really a unique name, it just suddenly came to her mind all of a sudden. However, Sasuke might not approve of it.

"How about this?" She wrote the name on the paper and saw the surprise on Naruto's face. Aside from Kakashi, Naruto is the best one who understands Sasuke. Even though their personalities are totally opposite poles, they understand each other.

"What do you think?"

oOo

* * *

Small columns of pale, blue smoke wafted throughout the room and exited through the open windows of the classroom.

"Let it cool until it hardens then you may crush it," reminded Sakura to the handful of medical students scattered across the classroom laboratory.

"_Hai_," they chorused unenthusiastically, poring over their experiments with sweaty faces.

Placing her chin above one hand, Sakura observed the fourteen to sixteen young students perspired as they struggle to achieve the consistency of their mixtures. Out of twenty, only two were able to achieve the exact color of the liquid mixture.

She understood their lack of enthusiasm because she had gone past that stage too. Medications and Mixtures were easily the students' least favourite subject. Back when she was still their age and she was still training hard to be a Medic, it also became her least favourite subject. Although she got excellent marks on the said subject, she was more interested on Biological Experimentations and Field and Combat Applications.

A knock on the door interrupted her reminiscing and she turned to see a young male chuunin. "Yes?"

"The Hokage wishes to discuss something with you," the chuunin said reading from a piece of a parchment with the Hokage's seal.

"Okay," she answered, wondering what it could be. She turned back to the students and caught their eager looking faces.

Which just means one thing.

"Alright, off you go," she said with a dismissive wave of hand and a patient smile.

Weirdly enough, she had a feeling that whatever Tsunade got to discuss with her is important with her because she would not be pulled out from her class if it's trivial. Speaking of class, she had been teaching the medics-in-trainee for more than two weeks already. Tsunade, being the medic-in-chief of Konoha aside from being the Hokage, decided to transfer her from the hospital to teaching school to lessen her physical tasks until her due date of giving birth.

"Seriously, they're a bit paranoid about my health," she muttered to herself. She knows that she should feel grateful for the concern but sometimes, it becomes too suffocating on her part.

The chuunin knocked and Shizune answered the door. Then, the chuunin left and she entered the Hokage's office. Sititng languidly in a high-backed leather chair with her feet propped up on the table and her files scattered around, Tsunade was wearing a bored but thoughtful look.

"Tsunade-sama," greeted Sakura respectfully, giving a small bow.

"Have a seat," gestured Tsunade.

Taking her seat, Sakura pressed her palms firmly upon her lap and waited. Maybe she would be transferred back to the hospital.

_Better_, she thought.

Tsunade pushed a thin folder to her. "I've been waiting for your paper since yesterday. Jusr sign this for formality's sake."

Sakura saw the regretful look on Tsunade and opened the folder then read it. However, she was not at all prepared for what was inside.

"Resignation?" Sakura stood up in utter shock still clutching the folder on her hands. "What's the meaning of this?"

Tsunade and Shizune were both shocked too on her reaction and exchanges looks of confusion.

"Don't you know?" Shizune asked, confused.

"Does this mean I would no longer be a shinobi?"

"Yes," answered Tsunade.

"What? That's outrageous!"

"Sit down, Sakura," said Tsunade.

"Not after I hear an explanation on this!"

"I said, take a seat," repeated Tsunade in a firm voice.

Nose flaring, Sakura took her seat again. "Now I'm seated."

"Clearly, there has been a misunderstanding in here," began Tsuande. "I was expecting your letter of resignation since yesterday. Today, I summoned you to remind you of the said letter and for you to sign these documents."

"I filed for a maternity leave and not a resignation!" Sakura said with gritted teeth. "Who the hell said I'm going to resign?"

To her puzzlement, Tsunade and Shizune exchanged silent nods as if they now understood what was confusing them earlier.

"It is Uchiha Sasuke," answered Tsunade.

"What? That's impossible…"

"It was Uchiha Sasuke who informed us that you would soon be resigning from the Konoha military workforce because you have to," began Tsunade.

"What?" Sakura cannot contain her surprise and confusion. "Why do I have to?"

"Because according to him, you have to follow the Uchiha tradition in which women are supposed to focus on taking care of the family and rearing kids to become excellent Uchihas."

"Huh?" The explanation rang over her mind repeatedly and searched her brain if Sasuke said something like that in the past. "But…I can't remember him telling me about such thing."

"I think you have to talk to him about it. It seems there's a lack of communication between the two of you regarding this matter," said Tsunade with a hint of disapproval.

"I think we really have to," agreed Sakura. She needs to hear it straight from him.

She gave a small bow and turned to leave when a question suddenly popped to her mind. Her hand was already at the metal doorknob when she paused and turned to look back at the Hokage.

"Yes?" Tsunade asked.

"Is it true?"

"Which one?" Tsunade asked, puzzled.

Her face registered a mixed expression of curiosity and hesitancy. "Is it true that Uchiha women were supposed to be at home only?"

"I can't really verify that, Sakura. But as far as I can remember," said Tsunade, rubbing her chin as she tried to remember her younger years. "When I was growing up, I used to see Uchiha female shinobis who were like your age or younger. I have never seen a Sharingan-wielding female Uchiha yet but according to my grandfather, there used to be a very few powerful Uchiha women with Sharingan back when the Senju and Uchiha clan were still fighting. Well, that was long ago when Konoha was not yet founded."

"However, during my time, there were some young Uchiha female shinobis with great potential. Eventually, they disappear from the military workforce before twenty which, to my guess, is the result of an arranged marriage between Uchihas or simply its tradition."

"Anyway, it's just based from experience," shrugged Tsunade. "Better hit the archives for verification."

Sakura nodded.

"Thank you," was all she could say. Best to hear it from Sasuke himself.

The archives can wait.

oOo

* * *

Night had just fallen when Sasuke reached the apartment. After removing his sandals, he proceeded to the kitchen to eat dinner. However, to his dismay, there was nothing on the table but a teapot and a pair of porcelain mugs. Sakura was sitting on the right side of the table, quietly sipping her tea, oblivious to his presence.

_Maybe she had just arrived and she was not yet able to prepare dinner_, he just thought consolingly. He went to the fridge and searched for something to eat but found nothing but raw meat, fish and some vegetables. He was really hungry after a sparring session with Hyuuga Neji that afternoon and he was expecting a good, sumptuous meal.

Dinner was not the only one lacking because Sakura's usual cheery greeting when he arrives was absent too.

_ Not that he miss it_, he immediately said to himself.

"We need to talk," said Sakura in an unusual serious voice. She was not even looking at him and seemed focus on sipping her tea.

Talk about what? But he already had an inkling of what they would be talking about. Tsunade had already informed her of it and he understood it came as truly shocking on her part.

He sat on the chair opposite her and poured tea to another mug. He took a long, slow sip before looking at her.

"You told Tsunade that I would be resigning from being a shinobi?" Sakura asked, her face hoping that he would deny it.

"Yes," confirmed Sasuke, avoiding the painful look on her face on his admission.

"But…why? And what's that about the Uchiha tradition?" Sakura cried out, frustrated. "You did not even ask me if I want it!"

"You would not agree to it."

"Then, why did you still do it?"

"It is my prerogative to do things I deem as necessary."

"How come it is your prerogative? It concerns me and the one who should decide should be ME," Sakura said, emphasizing the last word.

Still calm, Sasuke tried to explain. "I have the right to decide on your behalf regarding things that concerns the future."

"And what kind of future is that? Like abandoning my career and being a tool to revive your clan?"Sakura shot back. "And what's that thing about your clan's tradition of women being domestic housewives?"

"It has long been the tradition of the Uchiha clan that women should focus on producing heirs, taking care of the family and rearing the kids based upon the Uchiha principles."

"I never knew such thing even exists!" Sakura cried out hoarsely. "You never told me about it!"

"You did not ask," he said simply.

"How could I ask if I don't know anything in the first hand?" Sakura shot back at him.

"When we were officially married, you became an Uchiha and in effect, you have embraced everything that concerns our clan."

Sakura slumped back to the chair, bringing her face to her hands looking frustrated. Now that she knew the way of his clan, did she regret her decision of agreeing to his proposal?

Somehow, the thought that she regretted marrying him brought forth a wave of sadness.

Immediately brushing the emotion aside, he thought that it was too late for her to regret her decision because she was now carrying his heir. She would eventually agree on this matter.

It is her nature to understand and give herself to others.

oOo

* * *

She just can't easily give up her career like that. For years, she had worked hard to become a shinobi. She remembered her childhood self, studying hard and always competing with Ino to get Sasuke's attention when they were still genin. Then, when Sasuke left Konoha to become Orochimaru's vessel, she trained hard under Tsunade to become an excellent medic and hoping to be able to save Sasuke by extracting his soul if ever he eventually becomes Orochimaru's container. After Sasuke came back, she felt too weak in comparison with Naruto and him if ever they would be re-grouped once again and she trained hard to become an Anbu.

And now she would throw all this years of training and hard work just to follow a non-existent clan's tradition?

She wanted to go with Naruto and Sasuke on missions. She loved the action, the danger and the fact that they were all complete as Team 7 once again.

"But, Sasuke…" she said tentatively. "You can choose not to follow the tradition anymore."

Sasuke threw her a sharp glance.

But still, she continued. "I mean you are the only remaining Uchiha and there would no elders to follow or chastise you for not following the traditions."

Sakura noticed the involuntary tightening of his jaw muscles. She knew she had hit a spot by bringing up that he was just the remaining Uchiha but she had to try.

"I wanted to revive my clan along with its age-old culture and traditions," said Sasuke stubbornly.

"But we can change that," suggested Sakura softly, reaching out to touch his hand. She knew she was already trudging on dangerous waters with her suggestion because Sasuke was immensely devoted to his clan. "As the remaining Uchiha, you have the authority to change it."

"To change it is to disrespect my ancestors," he said stiffly, removing his hand from hers and looking away.

"But it's totally unfair on my part!" Sakura finally cried out in frustration. Why can't he understand? "I can fulfill my duties as an Uchiha matriarch like what we have agreed upon and be still a Konoha shinobi."

"The women of our clan were shinobis too but they gave it up to fulfill their sworn obligations to the clan," said Sasuke, eyeing her in disappointment. "My mother gave it up too for us."

Without thinking her next words, Sakura just let her tongue slipped. "Don't compare me to your mother. I can never be her and I would never be."

This statement had a profound effect on Sasuke. Her eyes widened when she realized that she had just disrespected his late mother.

"I…I'm sorry," she stuttered. "I did not mean to…"

But Sasuke had already stood up and slammed the tables to hard that teapot and mugs jumped on the table. His dark, bottomless eyes were narrowed with visible anger.

"I will not change my decision," he said coldly. "You are now an Uchiha and I am expecting you to follow our tradition and if you still don't want to, there is only one way."

He looked at her as if daring her to do it.

"I am expecting the proof of your resignation till this week," he said before turning away.

"W-What do you mean?" Sakura called out frantically as Sasuke went to the bedroom and came out with a bunch of clothes stuffed unceremoniously inside a black duffel bag. Then, he walked past her and went straight outside.

"Hey, where are you going?"

For heaven's sake, he was leaving her!

"To the Uchiha manors," he answered, without looking back. "My real home."

oOo

* * *

Sorry for the grammatical errors, syntax etc. I need a refresher course on English grammar or a beta-reader LOL.

Hope you like this chapter!

Watch out for the next chapter because there would be an unexpected turn of events.

PLEASE REVIEW!


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: Sorry for the late update! I'm pretty busy on weekdays and I only have time to write on weekends. Worst, something went wrong with my laptop and I lost almost all my files and I have to re-type this chapter all over again.

Anyway, thanks for the reviews and I'm hoping that you'll enjoy this chapter too.

Read and enjoy!

oOo

**Chapter 11**

Two weeks have passed uneventfully yet Sasuke had still not returned to their house. She still sees him around Konoha but she tries to avoid him as much as possible. Naruto had noticed it too because she kept declining his usual invitation to have their group lunch together.

"Ah, lover's quarrel again," chuckled Kakashi when she declined again one afternoon.

Naruto's blue eyes widened and he turned to Sasuke who was standing alone at the end of the hallway. "Hey, Teme! What's the problem with the two of you?"

Sasuke threw him a glare and as he did so, their eyes met and he looked away quickly and left.

"Nah, it's their problem," said Kakashi. "We should not meddle. Don't worry, they'll eventually come back in terms again."

"Fine," grumbled Naruto. He turned to Sakura with hopeful eyes. "Can the two of you fix it today? Seriously, it's bothering me already."

Sakura wanted to tell him that it's not as easy as it looked and it was not a simple quarrel. Nevertheless, she just gave a shrug and a nod. "We'll try."

Naruto broke into a big smile and hugged her back. "Good, we'll expect you tomorrow."

Kakashi's visible eye crinkled as he smiled at her and patted her head. "Take care."

"If it could only be that simple," whispered Sakura as she watched the two leave the school hallway.

Her class had already ended an hour ago and what she told Naruto was that she still has another class in a few hours was a lie and they've easily seen through her lie. She just really can't bear to be around Sasuke now.

It was still early but she decided to go home and curl up on bed. She hugged his pillow close to her body and inhaled the remains of his familiar scent on the fabric. Not enough, she rested her cheeks against the fabric, trying to remember the last time he slept on it.

What will happen to them now?

Who would give way?

He wanted her to give up her career and be a full-time housewife as was the custom of the Uchiha clan. Well, she did not study and train for years just to become a housewife and satisfy his selfish desire to adhere to his late clan's culture and tradition.

Granted that she will do as he wishes and resign from being a shinobi, what will be her future like? She imagined herself ten to fifteen years now and pictured herself wearing a kitchen apron, cooking and attending to half a dozen Uchiha kids while Naruto, Sasuk and Kakashi and their friends continue to go on missions and fulfill their duties as shinobis of Konoha.

It's not that she does not like children because like every girl, she dreams of having her own child someday. But she is also a career-oriented type of woman who loves to work around people. Work boosts her self-esteem and it's only where she feels important and needed.

She suddenly remembered her childhood rivalry with Ino. Back then, she was already pushing herself hard to make sure she's better than Ino and get Sasuke's attention. Eventually, she learned to love being a shinobi and constantly tries to stretch herself to the limit.

The night when Sasuke left Konoha and she begged for him to take her with him, she was willing to throw everything for him - Konoha, her friends and family. Years passed and they met once again, that time as enemies and she had learned the painful truth he did not think twice of killing her.

It had also proven that despite her feelings for him, she would not betray Konoha for him. As a Konoha shinobi, she have sworn her loyalty and life to the village and its people.

Squeezing her eyes shut, Sakura decided to block all thoughts of him and sleep. For an hour or so, she was lulled into a hazy state of semi-consciousness. Her mind drifting lazily across nothing and a string of various disembodied thoughts.

"Please don't compare me to your mother. I can never be her."

"You are now an Uchiha and if you still don't want to accept the duties and responsibilities that comes with it, there is only one way."

There is only one way?

What does that means?

"You wouldn't want to know," said Inner Sakura, floating lazily across her mind.

"Why?"

Sakura's eyes fluttered open as she realized what Inner Sakura means.

"...there is only one way."

Sasuke won't change his decision and knowing how much she cares for him, he was using it to get what he wants. And if still don't want to agree with him, there is only one way for both of them to get out of this problem. And he was daring her to initiate it or else, he would be the one to initiate it.

A divorce.

oOo

"Are you really sure about this?" Tsunade asked, her eyes filled with sadness and at the same time, hope that Sakura will change her mind.

Sakura just gave the Hokage a weak, sad smile. "Thank you, Tsunade-sama."

The trip towards the Uchiha grounds took a almost two hours by foot. From the outside, the Uchiha grounds looked like any other clan's residence with its long walls enclosing the whole property and the clan's emblem emblazoned proudly on the entrance's archway.

But once inside the Uchiha grounds, it was like stepping inside a cemetery. It was eerily quiet that you could almost hear the her own rhythmic breathing. The Uchiha houses have long lost their splendor over years of neglect and weather changes. The wall paints were stripped down in layers while some have paled in color. Marks of the infamous Uchiha massacre were still quite visible if one would look closely as evidenced by the scratches on the walls, broken windows and almost invisible splotches of dried blood in the verandas and walls.

It was not hard to find Sasuke's house. His father had been the leader of the Uchiha clan and the chief of Konoha Police Military and therefore, had the largest house in the area. The architecture of the house was simple yet classic mirroring the status and authority of the people who once lived on it.

Sakura did not dare enter the house and remained contented to sit and wait at the porch. She would wait for him here. As expected, after just more than an hour, Sasuke arrived. Her eyes went up to discern his approaching figure and she walked to meet him halfway. She had not seen him for several days and now that she had come face to face with him, she was quite shocked to see the drastic change in his physical features.

He looked every inch exhausted. There were large, dark circles under his eyes and his pale skin has a tinge of sallowness in it. His broad shoulders were slightly hunched and his eyes looked tired.

"Sasuke," she spoke his name tentatively. She suddenly felt a rush of warmth upon this and an urge to care for him came instantly to her.

Sasuke's dark, fathomless eyes lingered on her for a few seconds then focused to the folder she was holding.

"Let's talk inside," he said, walking past her.

Sakura followed him inside and although she had visited the house a couple of times in the past together with Naruto and Kakashi, she was still not comfortable being inside it. Every corner resonates loneliness and she could not just imagine how Sasuke managed to live in it alone for more than a decade. It had been years but the infamous Uchiha massacre would be forever etched in the pages of Konoha's history.

"Good thing that you finally realized my point," said Sasuke, turning on the lights.

Sakura wanted to retort something but just decided that the file should do the talking for her and just replied with something vague. "Yes, in a way."

Sasuke took the folder and opened it lazily as if he wanted to get done with it. As she expected,

Sasuke's eyes widened in surprise and he immediately reacted in anger.

"What's the meaning of this?" Sasuke demanded, throwing the folder across the table.

Unperturbed, Sakura looked at him without any reaction. "It's clearly written there."

"You can't do this!" He shouted at her.

"You made me do it," she retorted back.

Sasuke cursed under his breath and she heard him mutter something like, "This is a disgrace to me..."

"It's always been about you," said Sakura.

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm tired of submitting to all of your demands, Sasuke." Sakura looked at him evenly. "You perfectly know that I care for you sincerely yet you always chose to take it for granted."

"We have an agreement about this."

"Yes, I know," said Sakura. "I agreed to be your wife to help you revive your clan. I already sacrificed my pride and dignity on such a ridiculous agreement and yet you still wanted to take one of the few things that makes me happy and feel worthy of?"

"Then you should have not agreed in the first place!" Sasuke spat out bitterly.

"I should have not agreed to it that's why I realized that as early as now, I should free myself from you before I lose everything that defines me." Sakura heaved a sigh as she continued. "I know that you did not reciprocate any feelings for me at all but I've been hoping someday that you will."

Sasuke did not say anything and Sakura continued.

"And you know the worst part? You never even cared for me as your wife. You even left me when you knew perfectly well that I am just a month away from producing your desired heir."

"I did not..." Sasuke abruptly said but stopped short of continuing his sentence.

Sakura looked at him, expecting a reasonable explanation or something like a truce that he would try to do things better between them.

A long painful stretch of silence encompassed them.

"Fine," she muttered in frustration. She picked up the discarded folder and placed it on the table.

"I will leave this file to you and if you want to talk to me, you know where to reach me. Otherwise, please bring it on next week and let's meet at the Hokage's office."

Sasuke did not reply but he looked definitely furious. She was about to leave when he spoke again.

"You want it?" His voice sounded cold and cruel.

Sakura turned to look at him.

"Then I'll give what you want."

He picked the folder, took a pen, quickly scanned every page with his eyes and signed hastily on every page. Afterwards, he handed it back to her.

With shaking hands, Sakura received the folder and held on it tightly and spoke with a feigned cool, neutral voice. "Good. Makes things easier for both of us."

And as fast as she can, she left his house.

oOo

Unable to control his anger anymore, Sasuke kicked the wooden table and began throwing everything within his reach. Soon, the room was in a total mess with scattered splints of wood, shards of glass and porcelain.

Realizing that he ruined the receiving room of his parent's house, he went outside and started venting out his frustration to his weapons: throwing kunais, shurikens and katanas on practice targets with unnerving strength and accuracy.

What had he done?

He just signed the papers and agreed to for a divorce. Next week, they would face Tsunade, have some sort of mini-trial and discussion of legal matters and everything would be over between them.

If his parents or relatives were alive, they would be ashamed of him. He would be the first Uchiha to have a divorce and it proves that he is a failure.

Then, he would live again at the Uchiha grounds like he used to in the past years. The thought of being alone again every night depressed him.

It should not make any difference because he had been living alone for almost half of his life, right?

Yet, he had been quite used to have a companion around the house. He enjoyed her company for the past months. He would definitely miss to have someone with him. Someone who talks to him even when he does not talk much. Someone who prepares food and fixes his things every morning. And someone who really cares about him.

He wanted to tell her badly a while ago that he did not really abandon her "entirely." Since he left their house, he had always been guarding her every night till dawn, watching her from behind the thick foliage of trees from afar, ensuring that she is safe and sound. And as soon as she wakes up, he leaves his spot and goes back to the Uchiha grounds or some other place to get a few precious hours of sleep. He was lucky if he did not have any scheduled meeting or shinobi tasks to do.

Yet, to explain these things to her is futile. Besides, she had already filed for a divorce and he doubted that his explanation would make a difference at all.

What she said were all true. She really cared for him and he had always taken her for granted. It's not that he did not really care for her, maybe he just don't know how to show it. He had grown up focused on important tasks. Being romantic was never in his dictionary. He also thought that she would always be there for him, waiting patiently like she used to, that she would never leave his side.

After the following week, they would soon part ways. They would have visiting arrangements regarding the child. Soon, she would find another man whom she'll marry. That asshole guy who sent her flowers would surely seize the opportunity to woo her again. It would not be difficult for her to find another man. She was beautiful, intelligent and skilled. She would have a string of suitors in no time.

The thought of her in the arms of another man enraged him again. He clenched the kunai handle tightly that his knuckles turned white from the lack of blood supply. Yet, a voice inside his mind told him that if it would make her happy, then he should just accept it and move on.

Even though it pained him, he had to accept to himself that he made the right decision of setting her free.

oOo

It took her immense will power and determination to control the raging emotions inside her and maintan a normal, happy facade as she walked home. But the moment she reached the confines of the house, she just broke down and cried. The dam of emotions she had been forcefully trying to control just gave up and it was difficult to get hold of it now that the dam had broken.

He did not even think twice of signing the papers! Like it was just any piece of worthless document...

But she was the one who filed for it; hence, she should be prepared for the outcome. It has only two possibilities, it's either they would reunite or they would separate.

She was prepared for the second possibility but never had she imagined that he would decide that fast! Its as if she's not a big loss to him and he can easily replace her.

All these months that they lived together, had he not really learn to love her as a woman?

Maybe he cared for her just as much as a friend and a teammate and that's all he could give.

Maybe if she agreed to throw down her career and live forever with him, she would just be his wife. Someone for show and legal purposes only. Someone who would always be by his side to follow his wishes and produce Sharingan bearers. Perhaps, even in a million years, he would never reciprocate her feelings.

By the end of the following week, she would be Haruno Sakura again and news of Sasuke being single would spread across the Konoha. Lots of girls and women would surely take advantage of this and all Sasuke has to do is to choose from them. He would eventually marry another woman and have a family with her. He needs to revive his clan no matter what happens.

And yes, how could she forget about Team 7?

Their divorce would definitely affect the team's harmony and camaraderie. And whether Naruto likes it or not, it would take her more than a just a year to work with Sasuke again without any emotional attachments. Their divorce would shatter their team.

Sakura lost count of the hours she had been crying and eventually fell asleep on the floor. She had been so exhausted and emotionally drained that she did not hear the muffled footsteps coming near her.

Her basic instincts immediately plucked up and she immediately reached for a kunai and threw it across the direction of the unknown presence. It was dark and she could not see the foreign presence but she can definitely hear it approaching her slowly. She heard her kunai clashed against with something metal.

She gritted her teeth in annoyance. Her kunai was deflected.

Almost immediately, she encrounched in a defensive position, trying to maintain her balance.

Whoever it is, the best she can do is defend her self and the child within her.

The pale moonlight finally gave her the image of the unknown person and her eyes widened in alarm and fear.

Not for herself but fear for the safety of the unborn child inside her.

Her voice croaked out hoarsely as she spoke out, "Who are you?"

oOo

Sasuke woke up again for the nth time. He just can't sleep. he felt jittery and restless like there was something he needs to do. Perhaps his body had already been accustomed on being awake and alert for almost two weeks staright that it was difficult to readjust his body clock again.

A thick poof of white cloud suddenly appeared on his windowsill followed by a loud voice.

"OI! SASUKE!" Naruto popped into his windowsill, banging the walls to wake him up. "OI, SASUKE!"

"I'm already awake, idiot," replied Sasuke gruffly, jerking up to a sitting position. "What brings you here?"

"Didn't you know?" Naruto asked, his face annoyed. "Sakura is missing!"

"What do you mean missing?" Sasuke asked. Did she leave their house again and went somewhere else?

Fear gripped every nerve of his being as Naruto answered, looking grim. "She was abducted."

oOo

A/N: Watch out for the succeeding chapters and I'll try to update as fast as my time permits me!

PLEASE REVIEW!


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: Sorry, I know it's late but I'm really busy with my hospital training and I'm trying my best to update this story.

Please read and enjoy!

* * *

**The Pride of An Uchiha**

**Chapter 12**

* * *

What was once their small, tidy living room is now unrecognizable. The polished wooden flooring was splintered into a hundred pieces. The Uchiha-embroidered tatami mat was shredded and the right wall was completely destroyed, exposing the kitchen area. Worst of all, there were splotches of blood all around the room.

Where is she? And who did this to her?

And why?

These were the questions running inside Sasuke's mind for the past few hours as he kept investigating the house for clues.

"Any leads?" Sasuke asked Ibiki, struggling to remain calm and composed.

"None so far," answered Ibiki in his gruff voice. "The investigation is still on-going. Testimonials from neighbors were not that useful. They heard loud noises but they did not see anyone coming out from this house."

Sasuke nodded, taking in this disappointing answer.

"We are trying to rule out revenge as the primary motive," said Ibiki.

"Revenge?"

"Revenge upon you to be specific," said Ibiki. "The victim does not have known enemies so we are highlighting the possibility that an enemy of yours did this to exact revenge upon you."

Sasuke inwardly flinched at Ibiki's term for Sakura. Victim. As if she was already…

_No_, _she __is __still __alive_. He was sure of it.

"It's possible because I have many enemies," Sasuke admitted. When he was still an international S-class criminal, he had accumulated numerous enemies from various countries and villages. Even when he was pardoned by Konoha and subsequently the Council of Kages, it did not make his image any less better.

_Everything __just __seemed __too __fast_, he thought in a daze. Just that afternoon they had agreed to file for a divorce and now she was missing. Abducted by someone they don't even know.

* * *

"How could have this happened?" Naruto asked in anger and frustration. "She's in a vulnerable state! We need to retrieve her!"

"I know," replied Kakashi in a grave tone, shooting a sideway glance at Sasuke, who was still talking to Morino Ibiki.

"Stupid Sasuke!" Naruto bellowed out. "I did not know that he left her alone in this house! Hell, we did not know that they were not living under the same roof for weeks!"

"I was surprised by the news too. But whatever problem they have is still between the two of them. We should not meddle."

"But look what happened to Sakura! There are now two lives in danger!"

"Calm down, Naruto," said Kakashi. "We are all concerned for Sakura's safety. And Sasuke never wanted this to happen."

* * *

More than twenty-four hours had elapsed on Sakura's case but nothing had progressed much. The investigation team was just able to sum up possible enemies and their reasons for doing so. Almost all suspects were based from Sasuke since they were working on the possibility that Sakura was kidnapped as a revenge on him. They did not know where to start since there were not many clues left to the scene and testimonials from the neighbors were not that useful.

"You've got to rest," said Kakashi to Sasuke.

"I need to figure out who took her," replied Sasuke, running his hand through his hair in agitation. "Time is running out."

"We all need to rest," said Kakashi further. "I understand how you feel about this but we won't be able to figure out anything if we're all too strained."

"I don't want to-"

"You can't handle this alone, Sasuke," reminded Kakashi. "We too are concerned about Sakura's safety and everyone is doing their best to locate her."

Sasuke gave out a worn-out sigh. "Damn it! This is my…fault."

"Don't blame yourself. You never wanted this to happen."

Sasuke nodded at Kakashi's words but deep inside, his guilt was eating him. There were so many what ifs going on inside his mind.

What if he had not left her that night?

_Perhaps, she would still be here._

What if he had not broached the subject of her career?

_Then, they would have not argued._

And, what if he had not married her in the first place?

_Perhaps, there would be no problems like these and she would not be used as bait by his former enemies._

Frustrated and tired, Sasuke decided to heed Kakashi's advice and slept on the bedroom. Although the investigation is still on-going and the apartment cannot be used, Sasuke chose to sleep on their bedroom because he felt too tired to go back to the Uchiha manors. Furthermore, a big part of him wishes to reside in the apartment because whether he admits it or not out loud, he missed her presence.

* * *

Hundreds of miles away from Konoha, Sakura blinked her eyes open to an unfamiliar room and as her vision got clearer, she bolted upright as she scanned her new surroundings. She was in a small, dark room with a single bed and a small circular window. The room was moving rhythmically and she could smell the unmistakable scent of saltwater.

Immediately, she rushed out to the window and as she did so, she noticed that her hands were gloved and cuffed. Her wrists were also crisscrossed, preventing her from performing any jutsu. As she looked out unto the small circular window, Sakura found herself staring out against an open sky and an expanse of rolling blue waters.

_I __am __in __the __middle __of __the __sea!_ She thought in shock and fear.

_What the hell am I doing here?_

Suddenly, the events on the previous night replayed inside her mind. She was alone in the apartment when someone attacked her. No, the person did not really attack her at once. She was the one who attacked and all he did was dodge and deflect her attacks. She was only able to see the man's face for a brief time. He looked quite old to her like between fifty to sixty but she was easily fooled by his age because he moved incredibly fast and the next thing she knew, he was behind her, a long katana threatened against not her but to her abdomen.

She can remember his words clearly before he knocked her out with something.

_ "Don't move or I will kill your child."_

The last thing she can remember before losing consciousness was a gas mask placed on her mouth and nose.

_ Damn it! Where the hell am I going? _

Her absence would not go unnoticed. Konoha would have known by it now and she was sure that they would go searching for her today.

_Sasuke_.

She wondered if he already knew and how had he reacted to her abduction. She is sure that his initial reaction would be shock then it would shift to guilt because he left her alone. Because of this guilt, he would try to find her as soon as possible.

She thought of her parents and her friends. How could have this happened?

"He was right after all," she whispered to herself. There was really someone after her and she did not listen, taking his precautions for granted and now it is not only her life in danger but the child inside her as well.

Whatever happens, she would not go down without a fight and she would do everything to protect the child inside her.

Suddenly, she heard light footsteps coming from outside. Sakura immediately went back to the narrow bed and pretended to sleep as she waited for the person to enter. An idea abruptly occurred to her.

"_What if you attacked him as he entered the room?" Inner Sakura suggested._

"Risky but it's worth a shot." Sakura countered. It sounds good to her but she has a feeling that it might not go well as planned. She was not even sure how big the boat is, how many people were onboard and where in the world are they heading to. She needs some information first. She just can't attack blindly like she used to when she was still an active kunoichi. There's a child inside her and she was already on the end of her eight month.

Her hands went around on her abdomen protectively.

She can't handle this alone.

"Damn it," cursed Sakura.

No matter how perfect her plan would be, she can't fight her abductor because she would be targeted on her most vulnerable part. It would either be a win-lose or worse, a lose-lose outcome.

If she fights to the best of her ability, she might win but she would definitely lose the child. She's more of a close-range fighter and just one hit on her stomach and she would definitely bleed to death and lose her child.

The only remaining option for her is to wait for things to roll. She would soon learn who her captor is and his purpose. Then, she can make alternative plans besides fighting him one on one. She has to wait, gather information and plan.

That's the best thing she could do for now.

_Think, Sakura, think._

* * *

Sasuke woke up and was surprised to see that it was almost dawn. The familiar room materialized before his eyes and for a moment he felt confused. He was supposed to be staying at the Uchiha grounds. It took a few seconds for him to realize why he was here and instantly, a sudden wave of dread and anxiety crashed over him. Without further ado, he got up from the bed and went outside.

The living room and the kitchen area looked like a total mess. Yellow tapes were lined around the perimeter of the house, clearly telling everyone that they are not allowed to infiltrate beyond the scene of the crime. A shinobi who was smoking a cigarette greeted him with a nod and told him that there would be a meeting by eight with the Hokage.

Sasuke decided to go back at Uchiha grounds first to eat and retrieve his things and weapons. As he slid open the door of the house, he noticed an envelope inserted at the door's hinge. He picked it up and tore it open.

"It must be a message from the Hokage," he thought curiously.

He took out the folded sheet of paper inside and as he did so, something from inside the envelope fell on the floor. When he looked down for a closer look, he felt his insides go numb.

A gold ring and a thin bundle of pale, pink hair strands.

Immediately, he read the paper. It was short and direct to the point.

_THE EAST DOCK BY MIDNIGHT._

* * *

"Why am I not included in this mission?" Naruto bursted out in anger. "I'm Sakura's friend! I'm concerned about her welfare!"

"You are not the only one concerned about her, stupid brat." Tsunade eyed the blonde with a steely look which and took a quick swig of her sake. Then, she turned to the quiet, brooding man beside Naruto. "Are you sure you can handle this alone?"

Sasuke nodded. "Yes, it's me they want."

"But-," Naruto started to argue again when Tsunade lost her patience and cut him off.

"This is a delicate mission, Uzumaki Naruto! We need to retrieve Sakura with the least amount of fight possible because they would sure target her."

"But I want to help," Naruto said in frustration.

"I know how badly you wanted her to be safe and sound but in order to do that, we have to play by their rules. And the one they wanted is Uchiha Sasuke, not you or any one alse. Do you understand?"

A long stretch of silence engulfed the room as Tsunade and Naruto eyed each other in anger. Naruto opened his mouth but suddenly closed it again, hung his head and nodded sadly.

"Good," Tsunade said with a small smile. "Then shut up and listen to the plan."

"You mean I'm still included in this mission?" Naruto asked in confusion, his bright blue eyes sparkling in excitement.

"If the need arises then yes, you are included."

"Why didn't you say so earlier?"

"Because you kept opening that big mouth of yours instead of listening!" Tsunade barked. "Now do you still want to listen to the plan or you would keep blabbering?"

"Of course, I'll listen to the plan!"

After devising the mission plan which stretched to more than an hour, Tsunade crumpled the scroll and gave Sasuke a blank one.

"What's this for?" Sasuke asked.

"Communicate to us as discreetly as you could," instructed Tsunade. "Whatever happens, you must avoid risking a battle with them especially if Sakura is near."

"Understood," said Sasuke, taking the scroll.

Tsunade leaned back against her high-backed chair and propped her feet above the paper-stacked desk. "Off you go."

Before closing the door, Sasuke swore he heard Tsunade say, "Good luck, Uchiha."

* * *

The waves crashed against the jutted rocks of the cliff then it returned back to the sea, only to crash again to the cliff a few seconds later.

Repetitive, thought Sasuke. Yet, it has a somehow calming effect to him. He had been waiting for almost an hour, a bit too early for the designated time of the meeting. And finally, he saw it.

With the help of the moonlight, Sasuke saw the tiny figure of a sailboat manned by a single person. As the boat neared the shore, Sasuke jumped to the cliff and landed gracefully on a large, mossy sea rock.

"Where is Sakura?"

The person manning the small sailboat is wearing a thick, dark coat and a large straw hat that shadows his face. Fortunately, the man removed the hat and answered his question.

"She is on an island."

Estimating the man's age to be the same as Kakashi's, Sasuke noticed the long, diagonal scar on the man's nose, spanning the upper left cheek to the lower left. He racked his brain trying to remember the man but he can't evoke any memory of the man's face. Maybe he was one of those nameless shinobi he had attacked before.

"Bring me to her," demanded Sasuke. "And what the hell do you want from me?"

The man laughed revealing misaligned teeth,"I need nothing from you. I am merely hired to fetch you and dispatch anyone who might come our way." He peered around, sniffed and shrugged. "Too bad no one's here. Seems they're right that you'll follow what's asked. I have never fought someone from Leaf before. I heard you guys are pretty good. How I wish…"

The man did not finish his sentence and flashed him an annoying grin. An unspoken invitation to fight.

Irked, Sasuke decided to ignore the man. He is sure that he can defeat the man in a few minutes or so but he does not want to waste any time fighting.

"Bring me to that island. I want to meet your client," said Sasuke in a clear, demanding voice. "Now."

The man shrugged and jerked his thumb to the small sailboat. Sasuke walked past the man and hopped inside the sailboat, settling in the opposite end. With the help of the wind and the waves, the boat glided smoothly across the sea and away from the territorial waters of Konoha.

* * *

The sound of a metal scraping against the dark, cement floor stirred Sakura awake. Gradually, she lifted her eyelids open and saw a metal food tray lying near the metal doors.

"Breakfast," she thought blearily.

Slowly, she got up and dangled her legs, remaining in a sitting position for a few minutes before shuffling towards the food tray and bent to pick it up, the manacles on her wrists and ankles adding to the weight. She went back to her "bed" which is made up of planks and started to eat her meal.

Even though she dislike the food being rationed to her for the past few days, she had no choice but to eat what was given or she would die of starvation.

"How long have I been here?" Sakura mused to herself as she chewed as piece of vegetable.

Three days? Maybe a week already?

She really had no idea how long she had been stuck up inside the cell. How was she supposed to know? The dimly lit cell has no windows and when she tried to ask the guards outside the steel doors if its day or night already, it's as if they did not hear her.

But the biggest question plaguing her mind is why is she kidnapped? The usual motive is money. It could be a possibility, she thought. She did not have that much money in her bank account when she was still single. But when she got married to Sasuke, she effectively has the equal rights to his money too since she is the legal wife. As the remaining Uchiha, Sasuke inherited all the money and properties of the clan. She remembered the time after they got married and they had to sign a joint account, she saw his bank account and considering the amount, Sasuke could effectively buy some shares of land in Konoha.

Somehow, the thought of him brought an ache inside her. Even though she hates to admit it, she missed him. A lot.

* * *

Tiny droplets of water started to fall from the sky. It felt refreshing to his skin after a long, hot journey under the sun.

"At last," murmured Sasuke with a mix feeling of relief, nervousness and anticipation. Finally, he reached the island and he's nearing on finding Sakura. A light fog hung around the area which made visibility poor. He walked and entered the forest, cutting branches obscuring his way. The man who had fetched him awhile ago had left after they reached the shore. Then, he heard a loud rustling of leaves a few meters away and he immediately unsheated out his kunai in preparation for an attack.

A rugged man with a deeply-tanned face came out from the dense clump of trees and bushes and looked at him then to his forehead protector.

"Uchiha Sasuke," he stated. "Follow me."

And without further ado, the man turned around and sped fast, disappearing against the thick clump of trees and vines. Sasuke followed suit, immediately activating his Sharingan in case of any ambush attack.

_What do they want from them? From him?_

The forest thinned out to reveal an old, dilapidated looked like it had not been used for decades and the building looked like a cross between a dormitory and a prison. On the far side of the building, he noticed that a steel door was left open, presumably by the shinobi he had just met. Even though Sasuke wanted to explore the building with the hope of finding Sakura, his gut feeling told him that it would be better to face the person behind all of this.

The rusty steel door led to a long, spiral rickety staircase that seemed to be on the verge of collapsing. Sasuke wasted no time and climbed the stairs and as he reached the top steps, he was greeted with drawn kunais, katanas and swords. Five rogue shinobis including the one he had just followed earlier was facing him with grim faces, obviously guarding the man on the far corner of the room.

"Down with your weapons." The voice at the end of the room said.

Recognizing the voice and chakra signature, Sasuke's Sharingan blazed as the man slowly turned around to face him.

"We meet again, Uchiha Sasuke."

* * *

"What's the meaning of this?" Sasuke asked in anger and disbelief. "What do you want from us! Where's Sakura!"

"Ah...one question at a time, Uchiha," the man replied in a bored voice.

"Damn it! Answer me!" Sasuke shouted in anger. Instantly, the five rogue shinobis drew their weapons, ready to attack him at any slight movement from him.

"I don't have anything against your pretty, little wife. She just had the misfortune to be associated with you."

"Then leave her out of this! What do you want from me!"

Giving him a cryptic smile, the man replied. "A little patience."

"Clutching his fist in suppressed anger, Sasuke eyed with dislike and coldness. "Spit it out, Ao."

The aura around the room changed and Ao decided to stopped playing charade. "You don't deserve what you have, Uchiha."

At this statement, Sasuke's eyes narrowed.

Continuing, Ao flashed him a disdainful smirk. "You don't deserve to live after all the crimes you have committed."

"So you wanted to kill me?"

"Your life is a waste, I have no use for it," replied Ao. "Something more valuable than that."

"What are you complaining about then? I have already paid for my crimes.".

Ao let out a dry laugh. "Three years in jail? Your community service? House arrest? S-ranked missions? You call that punishment when people with lesser offenses rot in jails and gets executed?"

"Mizukage's order I presume?"

"What she doesn't know won't her," said Ao referring to their Mizukage.

"The verdict was the Council's decision not mine."

Ao waved off an impatient hand at the mention of the last Council of Kages. "Thanks to your jinchuuriki friend who turned the tables at the last Summit."

He looked at Sasuke with undisguised disgust and said. "You have committed crimes not just against Konoha but to the international community at large. A criminal like you deserves death."

* * *

_Flashback of the last Summit of Kages and Uchiha Sasuke's trial_

A hushed silence fell among the crowd when the Five Kages of each country entered the dome and took their high-backed seats on the raised platform. None of them talked to one another and each had stoic and tired looks as the Summit's Appointed High Clerk started the trial by introducing each of the respective Kages followed by an opening statement.

"Disciplinary hearing on the thirtieth of November into offenses committed under Acts of Treason, Article 1 Section 3, Clause 9 by Uchiha Sasuke, eighteen years of age, male, single, citizen of the Hidden Village of Leaf.

"...witness for the defense, Uzumaki Naruto, eighteen years of age, male, single and citizen of the Hidden Village of Leaf."

There was a collective muttering among the crowd as Uchiha Sasuke was placed on a chair with hands and feet bounded by chakra-suppressing manacles. Five high-ranking shinobis each from the Five Countries were around him as precaution in case he attacked the Kages. The level of anticipation and excitement was palpable and it was no wonder because full court trials were held rarely in history.

"The charges against the accused are as follows: that he did knowingly and deliberately left Konoha to join forces with Orochimaru, a former Leaf-nin and Akatsuki member, in full awareness that the latter had just launched a failed attack to their Village; That he joined and collaborated with the international criminal organization, Akatsuki; Attack and frustrated capture of the Eight-tailed Jinchuuriki, Killer Bee of Lightning Country; Attack on the Summit of Five Kages held at the Iron Leaf Village; Murder of Danzou, a member of the Council of Elders of the Hidden Village of Leaf; Frustrated murder of Karin of Kusagakure and Haruno Sakura of Konohagakure; Alliance and collaboration with Uchiha Madara and Yakushi Kabuto on the Fourth Shinobi World War."

A deafening silence engulfed the place after the reading of charges against the accused was done. To Sasuke's mind, it was nothing but a monologue. He just wanted to get over it. He did not give a damn anymore on what would be the result whether it be execution or life imprisonment.

_Death is better than enduring a life caged in a cell_, he thought afterwards.

He just wanted it to be finished.

"And now the court is open to hear the accused's side."

Sasuke stepped into the witness stand and he had just took his seat when one of the Kages, particularly the Raikage started to grill him with questions.

* * *

"Where is Sakura? I agreed to your terms and came here alone."

"Ah, I think she's still alive," said Ao scratching his chin with a hint of uncertainty much to Sasuke's disgust. "You wish to see her? She's down there."

In no time, Ao's led the way while Sasuke followed and the rest trailed a little farther behind them.

They descended a series of stairs, took turns on twisting alleys and dark candle-lit passageways and passed endless cells. It reminded him of the place he resided when he went to Orochimaru to seek power. He did not know which is worse, Orochimaru's lair or the place they were in. It was no wonder he could not sense Sakura's chakra, she was placed deep underground.

What does Ao really want from him? He said that he does not deserve his light punishment. Does it mean that he wanted him to be incarcerated and rot in one of these dark cells? Or be executed?

Ao was part of the Alliance during the Fourth Shinobi World War and specializes with chakra sensory. The Five Countries may have united as one during the last war but after it, they went to their own businesses of restoring and rehabilitating their villages. Like some of the Konohagakure residents, most shinobis from the Five Countries were not in favor of the result of the trial.

The last hour of his court trial was still fresh on Sasuke's mind.

He was guilty beyond reasonable doubt and he was just awaiting for his punishment. This became the object of argument between the Five Kages. The Raikage and Tsuchikage wanted him to be executed, the Hokage, Kazekage and Mizukage voted for life imprisonment. Life imprisonment should have won but the Raikage immediately objected and spoke before them. The Mizukage seemed convinced and agreed with the execution. The crowd cheered as the Raikage's side won, 3:2.

He was to be executed.

Sasuke maintained his emotionless facade as the Council clerk started to read out his punishment. He was ready to die. He had died when his family was murdered. It was nothing new except that the death would be tangible and final. From the periphery of his vision, he could see Naruto and Kakashi with grim expressions while Sakura buried her face on Naruto's shoulders, obviously crying.

To his and everyone's surprise, Naruto went to the podium where the Council clerk was standing and silenced the room with a shout. He spoke before the Five Kages and to the crowd and like what Ao had said, he turned the tables with his words and charm.

The people love Naruto as much as they hate him. Naruto was the people's hero and he was the people's enemy.

"Ah...here we are," said Ao, breaking into his reminiscing. They reached the end of a dark, musty hallway revealing a single, solid metal door with a small rectangular window.

Sasuke watched with loathing as Ao conversed with the person on the other side of the door. How could they keep Sakura on such a disgusting place? Rats and cockroaches kept sneaking beneath their feet and the place reeked of blood, urine and decay.

Ao moved away from the window. It was his turn. He looked inside expecting to see Sakura up close but no, she was a meter far from him. Clutching the steel bars tightly, her green eyes shone against the pale torch-lit dungeon. Her hair was in disarray, she had obviously woken up from sleep and her arms were thin, her fingers like sticks and her skin as pale as paper. Her wrists and ankles were bound on chakra-suppresing manacles and there were two rogue-nins guarding the door, their blades threatening to slash her throat and abdomen. Their eyes were anywhere but away from him obviously wary of his Sharingan.

Pure anger surged through his veins as her saw her condition. He felt like his chest was being squeezed. Is it pity? Compassion? Longing? When was the last time he had seen her? Touch her skin?

She opened her mouth to say something and even though he could not hear her, he could perfectly make out the word coming from her lips.

"Sasuke," her lips said softly.

"You just have to choose, Uchiha," said Ao from behind him.

Suppressing the urge to kill the man behind him, Sasuke spoke in a cold, rash voice. "Exactly what?"

A cryptic smile formed on his face as Ao replied, "Easy. You just have to choose - your eyes or your wife."

* * *

A/N: I dunno how court trials are done so I just took some hints from Harry Potter Book 5 during Harry's hearing. Thank you for the reviews! I'll update as soon as I can.

Happy New Year!

Reviews please!


	13. Chapter 13

**Author's Note:** Sorry guys for the long delay. I was very busy at the hospital that I barely had time to squeeze for my fanfic. Don't worry, I'm going to finish this. Thanks for the support.

Read and review!

* * *

**Chapter 13**

She had been drifting in and out of sleep, never knowing if it was day or night. The room was pitched dark saved for a torch hanging just outside her door. A thick wooden door with a gap just wide enough for her eyes let's her see what was going on outside. A long, plank of wood suspended on the wall through heavy, rusted chains served as her makeshift bed with a tattered, rough-spun blanket to warm her. In the corner, a chamber pot was almost filled with her urine and body wastes. She had covered it with a piece of wood but still, the room rank of its smell but she had gotten used to it.

How long had it been since she was taken from Konoha? Five days? Eight?

A rogue-nin would check on her twice a day. When someone checks to see her, a food tray was always brought which consisted of salted fish, mushy rice and a glass of water. When she's lucky, she would find a few strips of vegetables on her meal. They did not post someone to guard her, knowing full well that she would not escape that easily.

Many times she had tried to escape them: breaking the door, slipping while her food was being served, throwing the chamber pot at their face and even feigning pain. Yet, all her efforts were in vain and it only earned her chakra-binding manacles on both wrists.

"I wonder what they are doing right now," Sakura muttered to herself. She thought of Konoha and its warm, green surroundings and the people in it: Konoha residents, Naruto, Kakashi, Ino, Tsunade and yes, she had to admit, Sasuke foremost.

"I'm sure the Godaime had sent a retrieval team for us," answered Inner Sakura, her hyperactive alter ego.

"Can they find us?"

Inner Sakura shrugged. "Well, let's just punch our way back to Konoha."

"Yeah," agreed Sakura sarcastically. "Punch our way to Konoha." And go back to Konoha as corpses. She shuddered at the thought.

Thanks to her alter ego, she was able to combat boredom and loneliness. Being confined in a small, dark room for days and nights without anyone to talk to would have driven her mad if not for the nagging but reassuring presence of Inner Sakura.

Without knowing it, she had fallen asleep again and dreamt that she was floating in a dark surrounding. When she struggled to turn around and plant her feet on the ground, she continued to sink. There was no ground to place her feet upon, there was no end around. Everything just seemed to stretch and she felt herself sinking into an abyss.

There was no way out, she thought in panic. She cried out for help but her words only travelled the empty space.

Then, she felt some force yanking her forward. She felt some pain and she felt herself falling again but this time she fell to a cold, hard, solid ground.

And she woke up with a grunt of pain.

A loud, metallic chunk reverberated around the room as the thick iron manacles on her wrists were thrown on the floor. She looked around and found herself sitting on the floor. Rubbing her wrists, she looked up to find a rogue-nin looking down at her in a bored way.

"Up, woman," he ordered in a gruff voice like she was some kind of mongrel.

It felt good to be free from those manacles. Her wrists were chaffed raw from its tight grip.

Tall and medium-built with dark hair and eyes, she guessed his age to be around early thirties. He did not even waited for her to stand up on her own because he grabbed her roughly on the arm and pulled her up to stand. Then, he pushed her towards the door.

"Where are you taking me?" Sakura shrugged away from him, looking around suspiciously. Even though he had taken off her manacles, she still did not trust them.

"To the sea," he replied, pinning her arms behind and secured it with a rope. "Move!"

They're going to throw me to the sea! Her face must have betrayed her thoughts and emotions because the man laughed at her.

She needed to escape but how?

oOo

Years of neglect have turned the officer's room into a mess. Office files, rusty weapons, maps, old pieces of clothing, plates and mugs were scattered around the room. No one would think that it used to be the room of the highest ranking official of the island fortress. From the window on the right, one has a perfect view of the sea and any incoming enemies. A dingy door leading to a balcony offers one a good view on the fighting pit where the bloody graduation rites were used to be held.

Chojuro remembered his graduation rites as if it had been yesterday. He had to face his cousin on a one on one duel to death as a last step to "graduate". His cousin was better than him, fast and brutal. It was just a matter of luck that he was able to chance a fatal blow on his head.

"The Mizukage kept asking me," he finally said still staring at the fighting pit where hundreds of Kirigakure students died.

Ao was looking out onto the sea and asked in turn. "And what did you tell her?"

"That we have some matters to attend too," replied Chojuro. "The usual things."

"Did she believe you?"

"I think so," he admitted quite unsure. The Mizukage kept badgering him about what they were doing since their absences were notable. He had told the Mizukage that they were negotiating talks with several clients across the Five Countries to hire their shinobis for various purposes. The Hidden Village of Mist was not a productive village in terms of trade and resources. Their weather had allowed a few precious crops to survive and be harvested. Kirigakure was known for its militia and a large percent of their village's income come from client requests.

"If I were her, I would not believe you."

Because you don't know how hard it is for me to lie to her. "The Mizukage trusts us. We should stop this."

"Stop?" Ao managed a dry laugh as if Chojuro had said something ridiculous. "We are doing the Mizukage a favor and the Five Countries as a whole. The negotiations have been made and we have them both. I can smell success and there's no turning back."

oOo

Cool, blue water lapped hungrily on the hull of the boat, inviting it to sail on the wide open sea against a backdrop of a pale, orange setting sun. Are they somewhere on the north that the mists have started to thicken?

"Hey there, where's Sasuke?" She called out in her loudest voice but the man had disappeared behind the thick mists.

_Swordfish._ The name was painted in yellow, peeling letters. Could the boat sail as fast as its name? Her captors gave her a fishing vessel on which the smell of rotten fish had clung fiercely that she can smell it a good yard away. The vessel has one large cabin only. Inside the cabin were a chipped wooden steering wheel, a thick fishing net suspended on the corner which undoubtedly served as the bed; a small, circular table with a an oil lamp; a loaf of bread and a bottle of water.

The rogue-nin have escorted her to the boat and started the engine. When the boat started to move, the man left her without even untying the rope around her wrists and just disappeared. The boat continued to move, sailing straight into the sea like a blind man with no eyes while she sat on the corner, her hands tied behind her back.

Sakura forced to free her wrists from the rope, chaffing her bruised wrists further. She shook her hands free from the rope, her skin around the wrists red and bleeding from the chaffed skin.

Immediately, she took hold of the steering wheel and turned it counterclockwise. The boat continued to speed straight.

"Come on!" She wrenched the steering wheel harder.

Is this their idea of freeing her? And where was Sasuke? What the hell was going on?!

These questions filled her with mixed emotions of anger, confusion and fear. Yes, her captors gave her a boat and freed her but how was she supposed to go back to Konoha when she did not even know where she was in the first place?

And where was Sasuke? How much did he pay them to free her? Could it be something more valuable than money like a scroll or a weapon? Was he asked to assassinate someone?

But where was he right now?

Deep inside, she was expecting him to save her in the middle of the night like in those children's stories. Maybe after he had paid the ransom, he went back to Konoha and surmised that she can go back on her own. The thought sent a painful stab inside more painful that her physical wounds.

_No, he won't do that_. Despite what happened to their marriage, she and Sasuke still shared a bond that is deeper and had withstood the tests of time: friendship. No matter what happens, she is still his friend.

Something is wrong. She could feel it in her bones although she can't pinpoint exactly what it was. Sooner or later, she would find it out and she would never like it.

oOo

The chains rattled violently against the Uchiha's thrashing. Those chains were made of hard iron and have been used for more than a decade for punishment. Chojuro tried not to flinch at the screams and kept his face blank as the process started.

It must be painful to have your eye taken out without any anesthesia on the site. It's like losing a limb during a battle. Yet, in the battle shinobis have an adrenaline rush and the pain is felt afterwards. They have very few medics on the village and Ao did not dare hire one reasoning out that the fewer involved, the better. The two hired shinobis who guarded the kunoichi were killed after receiving their payment.

The line of Sharingan users would end with Uchiha Sasuke's death. The pink-haired kunoichi would also die in the sea. He wondered how long the woman would last.. She was long leagues away from Konoha and sea storms are common on their country. She would be lucky if she experiences just one. And that is if she can find her way back. The woman did not know their identities which Ao had ensured before ordering her to be freed. Ao would not let them both live despite the deal they have made. If the word spreads out, it would spark tension between their respective villages. And they won't stand a chance if Konoha allied itself with Sand, Wind or Lightning.

After more than an hour, the left Sharingan eye was finally taken out and was placed carefully on a cylinder filled with some kind of preserving fluid. The eye floated lazily inside the cylinder, staring at them with accusation after being removed from its rightful owner. Ao paused to inspect the extracted eye and despite the natural cold weather, he was sweating profusely. A smile formed on the old man's lips. He wondered how Ao managed to extract the eye when he was no medic because one wrong cut of the blood vessel or nerve on the Uchiha's eye could render their entire plan useless. Perhaps, he had practiced on it during their months of planning.

Uchiha Sasuke screamed and cursed, his chakra levels high and angry. He had suggested to Ao that they should have killed the Uchiha first before taking the eye. But Ao said that the Sharingan would lose its potency if its removed from its owner who's more than fifteen minutes dead. Best to take it while the owner breathes. Ao had even compared it to slaughtering swines and chickens because the fresher the meat, the better.

BOOM!

A loud explosion shook the building and sent a rain of falling debris. Clouds of smoke and dust clouded his vision as he took out his kunai. He heard a shout, a grunt of pain and another deafening explosion again.

BOOM!

Wiping his glasses clean, he saw two figures making way towards the door. The other one was Uchiha Sasuke, he was sure of it. The one helping him escape It was hard to see who they were amidst the smoke and mist. Whoever they were, he went out after them and immediately received a kick on the stomach.

"The eye!" Ao shouted harshly, a trickle of blood running from a gash on his forehead.

"The Uchiha escaped! We need to go after them!" It should be their first priority, not the damn eye. If the Uchiha manage to contact Konoha, they would be doomed.

The smoke had somehow cleared and he saw Ao searching fervently amidst the debris. "Go after them. The bitch returned to save the Uchiha. Bring them back dead or alive."

The kunoichi returned? She was either stupid or brave, he thought. But he wondered how she managed to steal inside the room without being sensed. Did she use a special technique? Ao has sharp chakra senses or had he been so confident that she would not return? Or was he preoccupied with the operation that his defenses were lowered? And now Ao wanted him to go after the two alone while he searched for his precious Sharingan eye. "We should go after them."

Fury emanated from the old man such as he had never seen before in his years of working beside him. The patch on his right eye was torn, exposing his Byakugan with its constricted white pupils and worm-like bulging vessels around. "You will go after them."

* * *

SAKURA

"You should have not gone back!" Sasuke repeated angrily for the third time. Fresh tears of blood continue to trickle from his left eyelid.

"They don't mean for both of us to live," Sakura countered for the third time too.

Together they cut their way across the tangled branches and leaves, twisted vines and tall, wild grass. The mist surrounding them was another problem.

"They have freed you," said Sasuke. "I watched you sail."

Sakura snorted. "Yes, they freed me. They gave me a boat with scarcely a food, map, water or compass. How am I suppose to return to Konoha when I don't have any idea where the hell in the world am I? They wanted me to wander across the sea and to die in hunger, sickness or storm."

"You should have sent Konoha a message."

"I already did," said Sakura. "I summoned a slug with a message for Tsunade. The slug said I am in Land of Water."

Sasuke's mouth thinned. "Yes, we are." Then, he turned to her. "Why didn't you just anchored on any island and waited for Konoha forces?"

"I wanted to know what's happening." She felt somethingwas wrong with they way she was freed easily. And her intuition was right.

"You don't have to know," said Sasuke.

Anger flared inside her. "I have the right to know! Oh, I nearly forgot that you always decide on your own."

Sasuke was about to shot back a reply when he stopped on his tracks and turned around, deftly assuming a defensive position. "Chojuro has tracked us. Go."

"What?" He wanted her to leave.

"You heard me clearly," said Sasuke impatiently. "You have to leave right away."

"No."

Sasuke rounded on her and gripped her shoulders. "Why are you so stubborn? They will target you!"

Because I don't want to leave you, she wanted to say. But she knew he was right. They would surely target her because of her vulnerability and she would be of no help to him when that happens. "The boat is inside a cave under the cliff by the east shoreline."

She waited for him to reply but his eyes were already scanning the surroundings.

"I will wait for you," she finally said and bounded off as fast as her weight could carry her. The pebbled shoreline greeted her soon. She had hidden the boat under the cliff and to reach it, she has to trudge the waters or scale down the cliff. She had trudged the waters when she went back and she would do it again. Scaling down the cliff in her current condition does not seem a good idea.

Climbing over a large sea-washed rock, Sakura gently eased herself to the water and walked along the sides, keeping hold on the rocks behind her. Waves after waves splashed on her face and thrice she had grazed her skin yet it did not hinder her. Dripping wet from head to toe, Sakura reached the cave where she hid the boat and used the natural rocky slopes to climb on it.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Twisting around, Sakura unsheathed the rusty kunai she had found on the boat's cabinets. It was rusty and old but still, a rusty kunai is better than none at all.

From the shadows he emerged and her eyes widened as she recognized the man. He was the same one who attacked her in Konoha. Based on his looks, she guessed him to be in his late forties or early fifties. But his body betrayed the gaunt look on his face. He was tall, lean and muscled which can put a young man into insecurity. But what stood out were his eyes. His eyes were mismatched. The left eye was a normal-looking eye while the right one was a Byakugan.

White pupils and white irises... The Byakugan, there's no mistaking it. He was the guy who took out Sasuke's right eye.

"Who are you?"

"You don't have to know it because you will not live long."

She noted his head protector. "Mist Village."

Ignoring that she had noticed his head protector, he carefully stepped towards her. "How did you manage to steal inside the room?"

Sakura stepped backwards. "Dynamites and concealment," she replied. The boat they have given her some use. She found several stocks of unused dynamites hidden under the floor and she used it as a distraction. Creating some clones, she instructed them to plant it on several parts of the building then she went on her way to find Sasuke. Actually, it was easy to locate Sasuke's whereabouts because of his chakra. He was in pain and its no wonder that his chakra was intense and strong.

"Ah, dynamites." The man scratched his chin thoughtfully. "The dynamites were hidden since they banned dynamite fishing. I was sure you would not return that I lowered my sensors. Yet, I can still sense one as far as ten meters even if my chakra sensors are subdued. You have concealed yourself very well."

Sakura made no reply about that. "You wanted Sasuke's Sharingan and you used me as a bait."

She had figured it out after seeing the operation. That's why Sasuke was not with her when she was freed. He doesn't need ransom or scroll. It was Sasuke's eye in exchange for life. He wanted the Sharingan.

The last Sharingan.

"I already have the Byakugan and it just occurred to me, why not a Sharingan on the other? By taking his eyes and killing him, I'm doing the world a favor. They would thank me for exterminating Uchiha Sasuke."

Sakura can't believe what she's hearing. The world would thank him?!

"The shinobi world have not forgotten his atrocities and Uchiha Sasuke shall pay for it. You're just very unfortunate that you carry his heir. I wanted to rid you too but Chojuro said that your child would not be a threat since there's some chance that it may not manifest the Sharingan because you're not an Uchiha," he said looking down at her. "I will be the justice."

Sakura shook her head in disgust. "You're mad. You call it justice? You are just using it as an excuse to justify your actions but what you really desire is his Sharingan. You even used me as a bait. In the end, you're nothing but a greedy, coward fool."

A shuriken wheezed towards her face and she just had enough time to deflect it with her kunai. The rusty kunai was almost sliced in half by the sharp shuriken but still, it managed to saved her.

"And what do you know of justice? You Konoha fools gave him a pathetic sentence when he should have been executed. But no, Konoha does not want him dead because of his bloodline limit. They wanted his Sharingan to continue so they can use it on future wars." He spat on the floor. "Enough of this. Give it to me."

He had it right. Sasuke is the last surviving Uchiha and if he would be executed, the Sharingan bloodline would die with him too. "Give what?" She replied innocently.

"Stop playing innocent. You know perfectly well what I wanted. Give me the Sharingan eye."

"I don't have it," replied Salura coolly.

"Liar. Give it to me. Now." His Byakugan activated, white pupils constricting against an equally pale, white cornea and iris.

"I don't have it," she said again. She braced herself for his attack. She felt sorry for the child inside her. But she would fight to protect her child and if she die... so be it.

* * *

SASUKE

The great fireball illuminated the night with life. The light and warmth coming from it felt good against the cold, mist-surrounded island. Chojuro managed to escaped the fireball itself but not its tongues of flames. His clothes caught fire and he immediately rolled in the damp ground to extinguish it. He had fought the boy before. It was during the Summit of the Five Kages in the Hidden Village that he had first seen he boy with that monstrous weapon of his. Susanoo, which was Sasuke's ultimate defense had been equaled by that hammer. Well, it just proves that the sheer weapon sizes of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist were not for mere intimidation.

Where is he? Chojuro had used his hammer so many times that it already tired him and slowed his movements. He would have to finish him as soon as possible. He wondered whether Sakura had already prepared the boat for their escape.

Bright white blue electricity formed on the palm of his hand and using his chakra to manipulate it, the ball of electricity elongated to form a silver-white Chidori Sword. Normally, he uses his Sharingan with his Chidori attacks. This time, however, he would try to put up with his normal, remaining eye. He sped through the trees when he heard a loud crack and the ground shook faintly beneath his feet. He stopped on his tracks and his eyes widened as he realized what's happening. Quickly, he abandoned his pursuit on Chojuro.

"No, not her," he whispered anxiously. He had expected Ao to follow him because he was the stronger one. Besides, the cylinder containing the Sharingan eye was with him, tucked safely inside the back of his shirt and hidden by his dark, faded cloak.

He pressed his palm over his left eyelid. The pain was consistent since the eye extraction. It felt like all the severed blood vessels and nerves were on fire, licking the hollow spaces inside. Knowing that he can't open his eyes unless he wanted infection to set in, he used his head protector as bandage over it.

The start of the eye extraction was simultaneous with Sakura's voyage to the sea. Bouded by thick, hard iron chakra-suppressing chains from head to foot, he watched helplessly from the window as Sakura's boat went to the sea and out of sight. He had no idea that she would return afterwards. The hired rogue-nins who guarded and excorted Sakura were also killed afterwards because Ao had seen to it that no word of what happened and who they were reaches outside.

Not being a medic, Ao had been very careful and meticulous on extracting his left Sharingan eye. The man had prepared for it as he had a small pouch containing small knives and scissors. It was pure physical torture to have his eye poked, cut and extracted without any numbing medication at all and all he could do was to scream and curse at them. His initial plan was to activate his Sharingan once he was sure that Sakura had left the island a considerable distance. For if he activated it early on, they might send someone to get her. Despite the contract, he knew that Ao would not only take his eyes but also his life. Furthermore, it would be an insult to have Itachi's eyes transplanted to someone who's not an Uchiha.

To activate his Sharingan, he needed chakra. But Ao had blocked his chakra pathways by using his stolen Byakugan on his right eye. Not to mention the chakra-suppressing chains that bound him from head to foot. He knew that his chances of escaping were slim but he would not let them kill him easily like a trapped animal. At that time, fleeting images of Naruto and Sakura floated on his mind. And of course, he wanted to see his child. The thought of never seeing them again overwhelmed him with pain.

His left eye had just been extracted and placed on the cylinder when the explosion shook the building and sent thick, clouds of smoke, ash and dust upon them. He had managed to break some of the rusty chains using physical strength but it was not enough. That was when he felt ehr familiar chakra signature beside him. In a swift stroke, Sakura sliced away the chains with what seemed like her chakra scalpel. He was able to snatch the cylinder on the floor before they left the room in a haste.

And now he reached the shoreline which was scattered with rocks ranging from small, broken stones to ones as large as boulders. Towering mounds of earth were erected like small, chocolate hills. A faint, long crack on the ground was also visible. All of which were marks of Sakura's brute strength and attempts to defend herself.

Ao would not kill her. It was him he wanted. His eyes, his Sharingan.

"But Sakura disrupted Ao's perfect plan," a voice inside his head piped in. "And he would make her pay for it."

Finally, he found them and he did not like it.

"Let her go," said Sasuke.

"You are in no position to demand, Uchiha." Ao gripped Sakura's arms tighter behind her back and posed a kunai to the hollow of her throat. The tip gleamed under the moonlight and from its tip, a small spot of blood formed.

Sakura looked like a mess. There were small cuts on face and her lower lip was swollen and bloodied. Yet, what surprised him was she still looked defiant and stubborn.

"Give the eye or else I'll kill your little wife."

"Then, kill me you bastard." Sakura spat on the ground.

"You still have the nerve to fight back, woman?" Ao drew a small redline on the side of her jaw. "You ruined everything."

Blood dripped from the line Ao made on Sakura's left jaw. Still, Sakura did not show that she was scared or even affected. It was only by his sheer willpower and logic that prevented him from attacking Ao at that very moment.

"Release her and I'll give it to you." He saw Sakura's green eyes widened in disagreement.

"I have the eye," said Sakura all of a sudden.

Ao's visible eye travelled abck and forth to the him and Sakura. "Are you trying to play games with me? Give it to me. Now."

Sakura's mouth formed a wordless "No."

"I hid it," she added.

What is she trying to do?

A cryptic smile suddenly formed on Ao's face which he did not like at all. "You want to play? Well, let's add more player to our lying game."

Sasuke cursed under his breath as he felt the chakra signature of Chojuro enter the perimeter.

"Now we're four," said Chojuro. He walked towards Ao and Sakura.

"I have the eye," Sasuke said. He took it from inside the back of his shirt and showed it to them. "Release her and I'll give it to you."

"No!" Sakura cried in despair.

"Give it to me." Ao's eyes glinted with visible greed. "One wrong move and her blood will spill."

Grim-faced, Sasuke gave a small nod. "As you wish."

And he threw the cylinder high up in the air."

* * *

SAKURA

Everything happened in a flash.

Ao cursde in anger and released his hold on her in order to catch the cylinder which Sasuke had thrown away. Chojuro tried to grab her but when she was about to punch him, he was already thrown backwards.

"Go," said Sasuke.

Then, they heard a crash and a wail.

When they turned to look, they found the cylinder's top broken, the contents of the preserving fluid leaking out. It turned out that Ao had managed to catch the cylinder just in time but it was not enough. The cylinder slipped and fell from his hand. Before Ao had the chance to pick it up or react, Sasuke attacked him.

Without thinking, sakura rushed to pick the broken cylinder. One-fourth of the preserving fluid had already been lost. Thankfully, there was still enough fluid for the Sharingan eye or else it would dry up and shrunk after a few hours. She should just maintain holding the cylinder in a vertical position or else all the preserving fluid would spill.

"Why did you go back?"

Turning around, she found Chojuro slumped in a rock, his glasses broken. His left leg was positioned in an awkward angle.

"I knew something was wrong," she answered.

Chojuro eyed her glowing fist with wariness but he did not move from his position. "You should still have gone on. You were given the chance."

"A slim chance. You knew that I have a slim chance of surviving at sea. All alone, I could die in a storm, starve to death if the sea is becalmed. Lots of possibilities."

"Slim chance, yes." Chojuro coughed up some blood. "You returned because of Uchiha Sasuke, didn't you?"

As a combat medic, Sakura was trained to assess comrades immediately in order to perform the primary healing needed. Now, as she looked at Chojuro, she could rule out some broken ribs, a fractured left ankle and some internal organ damage.

"Yes," she answered his question. Her medic side urged her to heal the man but her shinobi side tells her to finish the man. White chakra glowed from her right hand and formed into a chakra scalpel.

"Go ahead," said Chojuro.

A few seconds of silence engulfed them and Sakura knew that she must kill the man before its too late.

"You really care for each other, don't you?"

Taken a back by his comment, Sakura asked. "What makes you say that?"

Chojuro shrugged. "You came back for him and he, on the other hand, sacrificed his precious Sharingan for you."

Sakura stared at Chojuro with wide eyes still deciding whether to kill or heal him. Suddenly, a weird idea sprang up on her mind. "Get up."

Confusion flashed across Chojuro's face. "What?"

"You heard me. Get up or die."

Staggering, Chojuro managed to stand even with his broken ankle.

"You will take us back to Konoha as fast as possible," said Sakura.

"Me?"

"Who else? Follow me." Sakura looked at him sharply and started walking.

Chojuro followed her as fast as his broken ankle could manage with an expression of confusion and apprehension. They have just crossed a few yards when Sasuke showed up. He looked at both of them with surprise.

"What's this?" He asked and from the tone of his voice, he was clearly expecting an explanation. "I thought you already killed him!"

"He would take us back to Konoha," said Sakura.

Sasuke looked at her as if she had gone mad.

"He is our enemy," he emphasized as if it was not obvious to her.

"I know."

"You're making a big mistake."

"He was part of this whole plan and he knew the fastest route to take us back." Then, she decided to shift the topic. "Where's Ao?"

"Fatally wounded," answered Sasuke. "I left him because I needed to check on you. I have expected that you would finish that guy."

"Leave Ao. We need to get back to Konoha." Her hand went to her rounded abdomen. "I'm starting to feel labor pains now."

"And him?" Sasuke looked at Chojuro with distrust and suspicion clearly written across his face.

"Please, let's leave." She watched as Sasuke's shoulders sagged in defeat and she knew he had let go of the argument for her sake.

Sasuke watched Chojuro carefully like a hawk, anticipating any sign of deceit or attack that would initiate him to kill the man. Yet, a good hour passed and nothing happened. Although weak and injured, Chojuro was able to steer the boat soundly away from the island. Meanwhile, Sakura made sure that no one has followed them. Retiring in a corner of the cabin, she took out the broken cylinder and found that only half of the preserving fluid remained.

"Sasuke," she called him. It felt odd to say his name again.

He turned around and looked at the cylinder on her hand. "You found it?"

Sakura nodded. Perhaps he thought that it was gone after the cylinder fell to the ground. Fortunately, the cylinder was made up of thick glass or else it would have shattered to pieces. "It has to be transplanted immediately."

"Now?"

"We have no airtight container for it to be stored. It should be transplanted now or else it would dry up and shrink in a short time," she added.

Sasuke threw a furtive glance at Chojuro. Finally, he assented and the transplantation started. The hardest part for Sakura was joining back the severed vessels and nerves to the eye and ensuring that the blood and chakra channels were patent and flowing. All the while, Sasuke remained quiet throughout the procedure. It took Sakura almost an hour but she did not stop until she was sure it would work perfectly.

"Close your right eye," Sakura instructed. After a few minutes, she said. "You can open it now."

Sasuke did as he was told. "Now tell me how clearly you can see."

"Clear." Sasuke responded with a voice that resonated with relief.

"Good." Bringing back the yesight was good but the Sharingan would be another thing. "I would suggest that you rest it first before activitating the Sharingan so as not to strain it."

"Thank you," Sasuke said then returned to the front deck.

Chojuro's words replayed inside her mind again. "...sacrifice his precious Sharingan for you."

"Now you have your eye back," she whispered to herself. "Did you sacrifice your eye because you felt guilty?"

They would be returning to Konoha and as soon as the perpetrators behind the abduction were punished, they would have to face their personal problem. The impending divorce would the first one they have to settle.

"At least, we're going back," piped in Inner Sakura. The labor pains have already started although they were still mild and irregular. The stress must have triggered it.

Suddenly, a gust of cold wind whipped from the open window and raised goosebumps all over her body. For unknown reasons, she felt scared as if...something dreadful was about to happen.

* * *

Author's Note: Thank you for the long wait! Please review! Few chapters left!


	14. Chapter 14

A/N: I'm sorry for the long wait. Please bear with the grammatical errors. After I've finished the whole story, I'm going to polish it.

Please review!

* * *

**Chapter 14**

"How far are we from Konoha?"

The boat bobbed up and down, swerved side to side as the waves played with it like a toy in the hands of a child. From a far, a mountain of dark, heavy clouds were fast approaching.

"If the winds are in our favor, it would take us a day," answered Chojuro. Despite his injuries, Chojuro had proven to be an able navigator.

"A day," muttered Sasuke impatiently. "Too long."

He turned to Sakura, who was seated in a corner. "Are you okay?"

Sakura nodded. Unlike Sasuke and Chojuro, she chose to remain seated in the corner of the cabin as the boat tends to titter dangerously to the side every time a strong wind whipped against it. She doesn't want to slip or fall especially now they're in the middle of the sea.

"Can you send a message to Konoha?" Sasuke asked. "Tell them to meet us at sea by the east."

He turned to Chojuro with an impassive face. "You will take us to the east dock."

"Okay." She bit her thumb, made some hand signs and pressed her palm to the floor. A small puff of white cloud burst and when it cleared, a small slug greeted them.

"You could summon a snail!" Chojuro could not help but exclaim his surprise that the pink-haired pregnant woman can summon an animal.

Sakura shot him an angry look and corrected him. "A slug not a snail. And stick your eyes to the sea."

The slug told Sakura that Tsunade had sent two separate teams for them: one to the Hidden Village of Mist to treat with the Mizukage headed by Hyuga Neji with two chuunins while the second team would be for their retrieval headed by Uzumaki Naruto himself with Yamanaka Ino.

Sakura can't help but smile. She could not wait to see Naruto again. "Tell Tsunade that we're on our way back. We have a hostage named Chojuro. We plan to land by the east dock."

The slug assented and vanished. As much as she wanted the slug to go straight to Naruto she knew that Tsunade has the right to know first. The Hokage would be the one to disseminate the information.

She peered through the round window and saw the outlines of a large mountain of dark clouds. A thin streak of lightning flashed across the sky and after a few seconds, a thunder rolled.

"Chojuro," she called his attention after the thunder. "Can we survive a storm?"

"Maybe," answered Chojuro. "Maybe not.

* * *

CHOJURO

What is it now?

Gritting his teeth, he dragged his injured ankle towards the rain-splattered window. The arrogant Uchiha kept shouting orders on him as if he can do everything to his bidding. Can't he see that he was injured? That his injuries were all thanks to him?

Just then, Uchiha Sasuke burst through the door.

"Go at full speed," he said without any explanation.

Sasuke did not wait for him and jerked the steering board hard. Next, pressed the pedal at full speed.

"Whoa!" Chojuro exclaimed at the boat's sharp curve. Are they running away from something? "What's wrong?"

"What's happening?!" The woman asked.

The Uchiha glared at him as if everything was his fault. "Ao followed us."

The raven-haired Uchiha watched and waited for his reaction which in his case, he did not know. Should he go back to Ao's side now? Uchiha Sasuke would probably kill him first before that happens. Besides, Ao would have thought of him as a traitor already. Well, he was forced but he highly doubted his explanation would do him any good. Hell, Ao might even despise him even more for surrendering.

Now that leaves him with no allies. Both sides despise him. Where that does leaves him?

The cabin door suddenly exploded with such force that he was thrown against the wall, causing his vision to blur temporarily. Shouts and curses rang around. When he opened his eyes again, Sasuke was fighting a shabby-dressed man whose smell reeked and filled the room. It's as if the shabby man has not bathed for years. Yet, the man fought with the Uchiha well enough to show that he was not of an ordinary shinobi level.

In fact, there was something familiar with him.

"Behind you!" The pink-haired woman screamed shrilly.

Just in time before his neck got sliced off, Uchiha Sasuke ducked and kicked the shins of his attacker. Then, he rapidly executed a series of hand seals and a long column of fire spewed from his mouth. Because of the limited space inside the cabin, the rogue-nin was not able to dodge away fully from the fire. It consumed his hood and cloak which he removed immediately and broke through the wall.

"Close one, boy." He grinned at Uchiha Sasuke showing a row of yellow-stained, pointed teeth.

Then, it struck him as he recognized the man.

He is one of Kirigakure's convicted S-class criminals: Hiroki.

He could not believe it but he could not be mistaken. It took years for their government to track the man and finally imprison him. Hiroki had been infamous during the regime of the Third Mizukage when he killed hundreds of shinobis and destroyed a building on their village. He had just been born when the man was still at large and it was just five years ago when Hiroki was caught by a special team of Mist-nins.

From the periphery of his vision, he saw the pregnant kunoichi bit her thumb and pressed her palm to the floor. A small slug appeared like the one she summoned a few hours ago. No one was paying any attention to what was she doing. It appeared to him that she was giving another message. Then, after a few seconds the slug disappeared.

"I knew it, Chojuro." Ao stepped into the boat. He had bandages around the chest and torso, some cuts and bruises but overall he looked fit enough to fight again. "You're not just a wimp but you're also a traitor as well."

He wanted to disagree and explain that he was forced to come with the Uchiha but weirdly, he can't make the right words to redeem his self.

"What? Lost your tongue along with your balls?" Ao taunted him.

Maybe Ao was right after all. He's not just a wimp but he was a traitor as well. How could he betray his own countryman? He should have let himself be killed by the Leaf kunoichi.

A large splash caught their attention. Uchiha Sasuke and Hiroki were fighting above the water. Ao had joined the fight pressing the Uchiha with consecutive attacks. Sasuke removed the bandage over his eye to activate his Sharingan. Ao eyed the activated Sharingan with envy and disgust.

"You thought I was dead so you switched sides. It must be a big surprise, ne?" Ao sneered at him.

"I-It was not like that! I was forced by the kunoichi!" Finally, he was able to say it.

"Then, you're even weaker than I thought. How could you surrender to a woman?"

He looked away in shame and focused his attention to Hiroki. The man fought savagely like he wanted nothing more but to chopped the Uchiha into pieces.

"You freed him?"

"Yes," Ao answered smugly. "Nothing's sweeter to an imprisoned man but freedom."

"What you did was treason!"

"What WE did, boy." Ao raised an eyebrow at him. "Don't forget that you're part of all of this too."

"But I would give you the chance to redeem yourself once again." He detached himself from the fight and looked at him with those mismatched-colored eyes. Ao's eyes flicked from him to the kunoichi.

"Kill her," he said quietly.

Sasuke's eyes widened at this statement. He changed course but Hiroki blocked him and pressed him with consecutive brutal attacks.

He did not know what on earth made him do it. His feet moved on its won accord towards the kunoichi.

Sakura tensed and eyed him suspiciously, immediately assuming a defensive stance.

Bruised with an injured ankle and not to mention the internal injuries, he must look pitiful or laughable. He can't even defend himself properly. How much more can he protect and defend another person?

Ao looked at him for a long time. "I see you have finally chosen."

Uchiha Sasuke and Hiroki had stopped fighting momentarily at Ao's declaration. Sasuke looked at Chojuro with surprise and finally gave him a nod. And now it would be three against two: Uchiha Sasuke, Sakura and Chojuro against Ao and Hiroki.

The real battle has just begun.

* * *

SAKURA

In a matter of an hour, their boat had been completely destroyed while Ao's galley had a large gaping hole on the hull courtesy of her chakra-enhanced fist. Hiroki, Sakura had learned from Chojuro turned out to be a complete savage. The man's attacks were swift and brutal and she would have died a thousand deaths if not for Chojuro and Sasuke, who was now concentrated on Ao.

"You still okay?" She called out to Chojuro. The young man was sprawled over a floating plank of wood.

He gave her a weak thumbs-up sign. How long are they going to last fighting Hiroki? Chojuro's decision to finally go over their side made a big difference between life and death. Had Chojuro chosen to go back to Ao's side, it would be three against two. Not to add that she was vulnerable in her pregnant state and Sasuke's Sharingan eye had just been transplanted back.

Suddenly, Hiroki sprung from beneath the water and grabbed Chojuro. She formed a quick series of hand seals and sent a jet of water against Hiroki. Her attack separated Hiroki from Chojuro for a few seconds. Thanks to the food supplement pills she had given him, Chojuro was able to replenish his energy but not his injuries.

"To your left!" She sent a swirl of water to block Hiroki providing Chojuro a split second chance to escape. She could only fight the enemy through long-range attacks.

Chojuro unleashed his sword and rushed to attack Hiroki. Sakura sagged on her knees, breathing heavily. Her chakra level was close to low dangerous levels and she knew that with every ninjutsu technique she makes her chakra levels further decreases. Yet, this is the only way she can think of or else she would die.

Then, she saw the Mist-nin's long, yellow nails plunged into Chojuro's abdomen.

"NO!"

Blood dribbled from Chojuro's mouth as Hiroki pushed his hands further trying to get his hands on Chojuro's insides.

"Got ya," Chojuro smirked. He grabbed Hiroki's hands and did something immobilizing the Mist-nin. Chojuro gave Sakura a meaningful look. "Now!"

"Fuck! What have you done to me?!" Hiroki cried in outrage. "I can't move my body!"

Rising quickly to her feet, Sakura knew she must not waste time. This is their opportunity to kill the enemy. Chojuro had sacrificed his self as bait to immobilize the enemy and give her the chance to give the final blow. It was too late for the Kirigakure-nin to realize this because Sakura had already stabbed him through the heart with a chakra blade.

In that same instant, Chojuro lost consciousness and fell to the floor of the galley. Blood started to pool from the gaping wound on his abdomen. She was about to proceed to Chojuro when to her horror, Hiroki slowly turned around and grabbed her throat.

Blood spewed all over her face and body from the carotid arteries and veins she had severed on Hiroki's heart. How can he still be alive?

"All of us," Hiroki rasped to her face.

Sakura wanted to scream for help but no words would come out because of the tight grip on her throat. Up close, she saw Hiroki's pupils dilate. The Mist-nin died and fell to the water taking her down with him.

The man was heavy and they were sinking further. Sakura severed one hand then the other, finally freeing her from the dead shinobi. She tried to hold her breath as she tries to swim. She must be at least thirty feet from the surface when the stimulus for breathing finally overcame. Bubbles came out from her out and nose. Water started to pour in to her mouth then to her lungs. It was painful.

_No. _She repeated mentally but her body won't cooperate. She was starting to get dizzy and weak from the lack of oxygen. Darkness consumed her and her thoughts drifted to the Konoha and the persons she cherished: her parents, Naruto, Sasuke and the unborn child who would die with her.

An image of a young dark-haired boy running across a garden flashed on her mind before consciousness left her.

* * *

Pain coursed through every nerve of his eyes as Sasuke struggled to maintain his focus on Ao. Black flames followed Ao and licked every part of his body the flames could reach. Ao was trying to escape the Amaterasu but he would not let it. This time Sasuke would make sure to kill him. He had seen Sakura stabbed the Mist-nin through the heart a while ago. He's dead for sure. He had to focus first on killing Ao and then, they could finally go home.

A ring of black fire encircled Ao permitting him no room to escape. His right side of the body was burning and he was trying to remove his clothes seeing that he can't put out the fire with any technique. The black fires of Amaterasu consume everything in its path including fire itself. However, one major drawback of the technique is it burns slowly giving the enemy an opportunity to remove his clothes. On the wielder, the Amaterasu eats up a large portion of chakra and puts a great deal of strain on the Sharingan eyes.

The circle of black fire enclosed further.

_You're trapped now_.

Tongues of black fire licked Ao's body. With no way to go, Ao cursed and called him every foul name available. A few seconds later, his curses and name-calling were replaced with agonized cries of pain.

It's over.

Sasuke closed his eyes putting a stop to the Amaterasu leaving a steaming circle on its wake. Ao's burned body fell to the water with a splash. It was a sickening sight to see. Yet, he felt vindicated.

He turned around to look for Sakura. "Sakura?"

No answer. He can't sense her chakra anymore or the Kirigakure-nin. Only Chojuro's chakra signature remained and it was already feeble. He found Chojuro lying on a pool of blood with a gaping wound on the abdomen. He had seen the Mist-nin stabbed by Sakura. What could have happened?

"Chojuro," he called to the man. "Where is Sakura?"

Just then, something large and monstrous appeared from the water. Automatically, Sasuke braced himself for another attack.

"Uchiha Sasuke," the monstrous frog bellowed down at him.

"TEME!" Naruto's familiar loud and boisterous voice rang out. The blonde grinned at him like an idiot. He had never felt so relieved to see his friend again.

"Sakura's missing." Sasuke said immediately. It wiped off the grin on Naruto's face.

"What?" Naruto exclaimed in shock and alarm.

Sasuke turned to Chojuro and shook him on the shoulders, eliciting a moan of pain from the wounded man.

"Chojuro, answer me," Sasuke said. "Where's Sakura?"

His face wrinkled in pain, Chojuro answered in a weak voice. "In the...water."

Sasuke and Naruto looked into each other. Sakura is a shinobi. As shinobis, they were trained not only to swim but also how to hold one's breath longer than an average human. Yet, Sakura was nowhere to be seen. What happened to her?

Without second thoughts, Sasuke dove to the water.

"Take him," said Naruto to Gamabunta and followed suit.

Naruto dove and together, he and Sauke searched fervently around, communicating with one another through hand signals. Gamabunta followed after taking Chojuro inside his belly and dove deeper than them. The water became darker as they went deeper and it became harder for them to see.

_Sakura, where are you?_

Sasuke felt the need to resurface to get air when he felt Gamabunta shot forward as if he found something. He pointed something to him and Naruto. Following the direction he was pointing out, Sasuke dove forward and stilled on what he saw.

A mass of pink hair several feet below them.

Ignoring the painful ringing on his ears from the underwater pressure, Sasuke shot forward but to his shock Gamabunta's tongue shot forward and took Sakura in its mouth. Next, the monstrous frog took hold of him and Naruto and shot to the surface.

"Where's Sakura-chan?" Naruto immediately asked upon reaching the surface.

Gamabunta reached inside his mouth and rolled out an unconscious Sakura to his back.

Sasuke took hold of Sakura's cheeks. It was cold. "Sakura, wake up!"

"Sakura-chan, it's me Naruto-kun!"

No response.

Sasuke immediately went to check on her carotid pulse and tried to feel for signs of breathing.

None.

His insides froze at this realization. Placing his hands on her sternum, Sasuke gave fast compressions then a mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. He did it for two cycles then checked for her vitals again.

There was still none.

_Shit._

Naruto took charge of the compressions while Sasuke gave her breaths. After a minute, Sasuke checked her vitals again.

There was still none.

_What the fuck._

While continuing his cardiac compressions, Sasuke noticed that Naruto was holding Sakura's limp hand and something whitish-blue energy was passing from his arm to hers. "What are you doing?"

"Giving her chakra," answered Naruto.

Sasuke checked her vitals again and found none. Naruto re-checked and his blue eyes widened.

"No," Sasuke whispered in denialupon the look on Naruto's face. His blood went cold all over.

_This can't be happening_.

He refused to acknowledge what his brain was telling him. "Damn it, Sakura! WAKE UP! WAKE UP!"

Naruto began executing a series of hand seals. "Gamabunta, take us to Konoha now!"

"Whoa!" Gamabunta exclaimed in surprise. "That's pretty far but I think I can-

"NOW!" Naruto and Sasuke yelled in unison.

Sasuke had stopped believing on gods right after the Uchiha massacre. In fact, he despised those so-called gods he prayed to when he was young. What kind of gods would let his family be killed? Gods who in their twisted sense of goodness have subjected him to a long, cruel life?

But now, he would try to believe in them once again. At that moment, all he asked of them is one thing.

_Please save her._

* * *

A/N: Thank you for reading! Happy New Year everyone!

Please REVIEW!


	15. Chapter 15

A/N: Hi everyone! Here's the next chapter. Hope you like it!

* * *

**The Pride of an Uchiha**

**Chapter 15**

An earth-shattering crash greeted the townspeople of Konoha on a usual, busy morning when a monstrous orange-and-blue striped frog appeared on the hospital grounds. A woman was carefully lowered to a stretcher and immediately sent inside the emergency room where treatments were promptly started. Cardiac resuscitation was begun while a bag valve device was placed over her mouth and nose, forcefully delivering oxygen.

A blue curtain was pulled over by a round, middle-aged nurse. "I'm sorry but you have to stay there." She pointed to a corner where a small row of chairs were set for relatives and friends of the patient.

"No," growled Sasuke. "I need to see her."

"You are injured too. I suggest you seek medical treatment now," suggested the nurse.

"I don't need your advice," replied Sasuke with a glare. "Get out of my way."

"I'm sorry but we want to see her," said Naruto with an apologetic shrug in behalf of Sasuke's rude behavior.

The nurse nodded with a sympathetic look on her eyes but she remained firm on her stand not to let them in. "I'm only following hospital policy. Please stay over there while she's being revived."

"She's not yet dead!" Naruto cried in aghast.

"I didn't say she's dead-"

Sasuke took a threatening step towards the nurse. "I don't give a damn about your policy here. Now I want you to get out of my way or else-"

"Or else what, Uchiha?" A loud, booming voice came from behind them.

"Baa-chan!" Naruto called out in surprise.

"Hokage-sama," the nurse bowed respectfully and left with a relieved sigh.

"Tsunade," acknowledged Sasuke, his face impassive.

"Both of you," Tsunade gestured to Naruto and Sasuke. "Get out!"

"No, you don't understand Baa-chan!" Naruto pressed on. "Sakura needs us!"

"Just because you are the Hokage does not mean you can stop me," glared Sasuke. He took a step past her when Tsunade grabbed his arm.

"Look at the state you're in." Tsunade gave him a sweeping look from head to toe. "Your eyes are bleeding not to mention your physical injuries. If I let you in, what use are you going to be? Moral support? Will that revive her?"

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. The Hokage hit the bull's eye and he knew that she was right that he can't do anything to help. And it angered him. "I have the right to know. I am her husband."

Tsunade's eyebrow arched as she looked at him coolly. "Until when?"

"What kind of question is that?" Naruto interjected, his blue eyes looking from Tsunade to Sasuke and back and forth. He is clearly missing something here. "Is there something going on that I need to know?"

Neither Sasuke nor Tsunade replied to Naruto. The two continued to assess one another with cold anger.

"Fine," said Tsunade, breaking the silence. "You may go inside, Uchiha."

"How about me?" Naruto protested.

"Shut up," snapped Tsunade.

Ignoring their banter, Sasuke walked past them but he had merely taken a few steps when he felt a fingertip pressed on his nape. A weird electric current passed from the fingertip down to his body. Abruptly, he fell to the floor at the sudden loss of sensation on his lower extremities. Then, he felt a sharp object on his arm. Someone had given him an injection.

He shot a murderous, accusing glare at Tsunade before his vision blackened.

"Baa-chan, what have you done to him?!" It was the last thing Sasuke heard before he lost consciousness.

* * *

Bright white lights and steady, beeping sound of a machine greeted Sasuke upon waking up. He stretched out his hand to shield his eyes from the sudden glare. Upon doing so, he noticed a small device placed on his right index finger connected to a monitor where the beeping sounds came. He looked around and saw that an intravenous fluid was connected on his other hand.

_Where am I?_ It was his first thought as he forced himself to sit. He felt weak, drained and hungry. Slowly, flashes of the past few days replayed on his mind.

_What happened to Sakura?_ Panic rose inside him as he immediately jumped from the bed. He yanked off the device on his right index finger and the intravenous fluid on his left.

_How long had he been unconscious_?

"Ah, you're finally awake." From the corner of the room, Kakashi roused and walked towards him, carrying a small book which undoubtedly was another version of _Icha Icha Paradise_. His white hair was dishevelled from sleep.

"How long have I been unconscious?" Sasuke asked immediately.

"Two days," answered Kakashi. "Your eyes were treated to prevent the spread of infection after the hasty removal and transplantation on Kirigakure."

"How did they know about the eye transfer?" No one knew about the eye transfer except him, Sakura, Chojuro and Ao.

"The Hokage scanned your whole body particularly your eyes. Chojuro confirmed the Hokage's diagnosis. By the way, Tsunade advised that you don't use your Sharingan for at least a month."

So the Hokage finally knew the whole story from Chojuro's mouth. Hokage or not, he would never forget that she knocked him unconscious when he thought that she had already permitted him to see Sakura. Even though she had treated his eyes, he wished that he would not see her anytime soon or else he might do or say something he might regret later on.

"Is Sakura...?" Sasuke trailed off. He had been dying to ask but he realized he feared the answer.

"Yes, she is alive," Kakashi answered his incomplete question. The Copy-ninja gave him a fatherly smile tinted with sadness.

Letting out a relieved sigh, Sasuke ran his hand through his hair. Sakura is alive after all. The gods have answered his prayers.

"Sasuke," Kakashi called his attention again. "Sakura is the only one alive."

"What do you mean-"Sasuke wanted to ask when he realized what Kakashi meant. His eyes widened at Kakashi's downcast eyes.

Kakashi nodded then exhaled as if he does not want to be the one to give the news.

"Sakura lived but your child did not."

* * *

A heavy blow on the stomach.

That was how Sasuke felt at the moment as he fully absorbed the confirmation from Kakashi. He could still remember the moment when Sakura told him the news of the pregnancy. It was a spark of hope for him. The dream of reviving the Uchiha clan and returning the name to its former glory slowly coming true.

"Does she know?" Sakura would be crushed at the news.

Kakashi shook his head. "No, she is still unconscious. Comatose to be specific."

"Comatose?" Sasuke repeated the word hoarsely. He stood up angrily. "You said she is alive!"

"Yes, she is alive. Breathing and beating but unresponsive." Kakashi eyed him gravely. "Tsunade said that if Sakura's just an ordinary civilian, she would be surely dead. But she is fighting."

Goosebumps erupted all over his body at this news.

Comatose.

It means that the machines were the only ones helping her to survive. He was so stupid! If only he had realized earlier at that time that she's missing, he could have prevented all of this.

"I need to see her." He stood abruptly and went to the bedside the cabinet to rummage for his clothes. The sudden movement caused him to feel unstable and dizzy.

Kakashi quickly came to steady him on his feet. "The doctors said you still need to recuperate."

"I will see her now." Sasuke said stubbornly, grabbing a pair of clothes.

Sighing in defeat, Kakashi knew that when Sasuke sets his mind on something, nothing can stop him. "Alright, the least I can do is to take you there."

Sasuke did not say anything and put on his clothes, discarding the flimsy hospital gown on the floor muttering in annoyance. "Seriously."

"We knew you'd be looking for those," Kakashi smirked at him, gesturing on the clothes at the bedside cabinet. "Naruto went to your house and got those."

"I'll treat him to an unlimited ramen for a day." Both of them knew that an unlimited day of ramen is not enough to repay Naruto for everything he had done and sacrificed. Maybe until the day he dies, he would not be able to fully repay Naruto for all the trust and friendship he had shown him.

"Why don't you eat first?"

"Later." Sasuke opened the door leading to the hallway. He can already feel the pangs of hunger gnawing on his stomach but it can wait. Besides, he hated hospital food. It tasted bland. "Where is she?"

"Sakura's a few rooms across from yours, the nearest one besides the nurses' station." As they were walking in silence, Kakashi decided to strike another conversation to lighten up the mood. "I forgot to say that Naruto had also borrowed some of your clothes."

"Why?"

"Didn't want to do laundry, I guess."

"Figures," Sasuke smirked. Naruto's apartment always a big mess. All dirty clothes were scattered around, the dishes piled in heaps, weapons and scrolls strewn across the floor. He was not a neat prick either but at least he separates the dirty from the clean ones.

"He had a hard time choosing clothes because he said that your clothes are always black, blue or white. Plain and boring as I quote his exact words." Kakashi snickered at the poker-faced man beside him.

"I will never wear something as hideous as orange," replied Sasuke. They finally reached the room and entered on which an ominous silence greeted them punctuated by the steady beeping sounds of machines.

If not for Kakashi's support, Sasuke felt like he would have gone weak at the sight that greeted him.

Sakura looked fragile and weak amidst the bed and all the tubes and machines surrounding her. A tube on her mouth was connected to a mechanical ventilator which helped in delivering oxygen. On her right side, an inch-wide semi-transparent tube was connected to her side and draining to a small closed bottle.

"What's that for?" He asked pointing to Kakashi the tube on her side.

"According to Tsunade, the tube is punctured to her lung to drain the fluid that has accumulated in it when she drowned." Kakashi explained. "One lung at a time. After the right side has improved and cleared, they would do the left one."

_Punctured on her lungs?_

"What are you doing here?!" A sharp voice said behind them.

Kakashi and Sasuke turned to see a middle-aged red-haired woman on the door carrying some packs of ramen.

"Haruno-san," greeted Kakashi with a respectful bow. "We came here to visit Sakura."

Sasuke bowed too, feeling the intense glare of the woman on them.

"He's not allowed," she said coldly to Kakashi, referring to Sasuke.

A tense silence stretched between them before Kakashi broke it with a light banter.

"Ah, Sasuke just woke up and he wanted to see her," explained Kakashi.

Sakura's mother glared at Sasuke. "Now that you have seen her condition, you can leave."

"He cares for your Sakura-chan," said Kakashi.

"Look what have you done to my daughter!" She shouted at Sasuke.

Sasuke was at a loss on what to say.

"You did not take care of her as you promised us. Now her child was lost and heaven knows if she would wake up..."

She started sobbing but it did not stop her from her angry outburst.

"This could not have happened if she did not marry you in the first place! Of all people in Konoha, why _YOU__?!_"

Kakashi cleared his throat and rose to Sasuke's defence. "Nobody wants this to happen. Sasuke did everything to save them both."

"We never wanted you for Sakura! She loves you and that's the only reason we gave our blessing to your union. We wanted our daughter to be happy but look what had become of her. If I were her, I would have chosen someone better."

"Like Naruto?" Sasuke intoned quietly. He knew that Sakura's parents favoured Naruto for her even though the two stressed out that they were only best friends. Naruto was the hero of the Fourth Shinobi World War and the next likely Kage. What parent would not want him for their daughter?

"Yes," she answered. "If I can have it my way, I would have picked Uzumaki Naruto for her."

"Instead, she chose to marry a former S-class criminal, right?" Sasuke retorted in a tone full of coldness.

Sakura's mother was about to retort when Naruto and Sakura's father arrived.

"What's going on?" Naruto asked upon arriving at the scene. The tension between them could practically be felt.

Sakura's father went to his wife and took her by the shoulders. "Come on, you need to rest."

"But what about-"

Sakura's father shook his head firmly. "They're going to watch over her. Let's go."

Shoulders slumped; they left the room with Sakura's father giving a small nod to Sasuke.

"What was that about?" Naruto asked when they finally left. "I heard some shouting."

It was Kakashi who answered him. "Let's call it simply as a "mother hen" mode."

Naruto shrugged and let the subject dropped. He went over to Sakura and stroked her hair tenderly, his blue eyes showing brotherly love and sadness. "Morning, Sakura-chan!"

"I brought some flowers and foods for you. Hinata bought the flowers but she can't visit you today because she has a mission. I bought some food but if you don't like them, can I just have it?"

Naruto continued talking and making silly jokes now and then as if Sakura was awake and conscious. Well, if she were, Sakura would probably smacked Naruto on the head a dozen times.

Yet, he could not help but feel a twinge of stupid jealousy and insecurity as he recalled what Sakura's mother had said awhile ago. _"If I can have it my way, I would have picked Uzumaki Naruto for her."_

Naruto loves Sakura like a sister no more. Yes, he used to have a big crush on her when they were still chuunin which had grew into something deeper when Sasuke left their team and became a missing shinobi. Naruto made a promise to her that he would bring back Sasuke to Konoha no matter what. Whether Sakura might or might not have reciprocated those feelings, he did not know and he didn't want to know. But when he finally returned and as the years passed, Naruto realized that he loved Sakura only as a sister and a best friend. He confessed it to him one night a few years ago. And now, he was dating the shy and soft-spoken Hinata steadily for quite a few years.

"Sasuke," Naruto interrupted his train of thoughts. "You got some serious explaining to do."

"About what?" Sasuke frowned at the sudden change in Naruto's mood. It was evident in his blue eyes that he's angry and hurt.

Naruto looked at him with those piercingly; clear blue eyes and he had never felt more uncomfortable under his scrutiny.

"I saw the divorce papers."

* * *

Sasuke was discharged the next day with an eye patch on his operated eye. He was firmly instructed not to use the Sharingan for at least three weeks to allow his operated eye to heal fully. He and Naruto had a brief deep talk about what happened. Thankfully, Naruto was a good listener. He did not judged or blamed him for what happened. On his part, he felt good and relieved to be finally able to share the heavy burden he was carrying inside.

Days passed and Sakura's condition improved. As soon as she started breathing on her own, Sakura was finally extubated. Both of her lungs had cleared and she was starting to move too although she's still unconscious. Not large, jerky movement but small ones like twitching of the fingers and fluttering of the eyelids. Nevertheless, it was significant.

To avoid nasty encounters with encounters with Sakura's parents, Sasuke made sure to visit at night. Although Sakura's parents forbidded him to visit, Tsunade saw nothing to agree with them and allowed Sasuke.

After almost a week, Sakura finally woke up.

It was probably two to three in the morning where most of the people inside the hospital were asleep except for the nurses and medical staff going on with their shifts. It was Sasuke's shift to watch over her and he chose to sit near her bed. Even though his eyes were closed, he was alert to every alarm, movement or presence.

So he was stunned when he felt a feather-like touch on his face. At first, he thought it was just another of her involuntary, jerky movements. But when he saw her opened green eyes looking at him, he was speechless.

A smile broke out on his face as he gazed into her soft, droopy eyes.

"Sakura," was all he could say as he took her hand in between his. Yet, as much as he relished that moment, Sasuke knew that he had to inform the doctors of this major progress. He reached for the intercom and pressed the red button.

After careful clinical evaluation and some more laboratory tests, Sakura fell asleep once again which the doctors said were normal. Visitors started pouring in including her parents and friends. Sasuke decided to leave so as not to disrupt the positive atmosphere caused by his unwanted presence. Even though he wanted to watch and wait for her to wake up again, he knew he should leave and just be happy and contented with her progress.

The sun was already peeking over the horizon when he left the hospital and went to the apartment to eat and change his clothes. The wreckage caused by Ao's attack were repaired and the house was restored to its original look.

_If only things between him and Sakura could be repaired that easily_, he thought sullenly.

He took a five hour sleep and went back to the hospital. He wished Sakuraa's parents had already left but that's wishful thinking on his part. To his surprise, Naruto was waiting for him on the hospital lounge.

"Hey, Teme!"Naruto waved to him enthusiastically.

"What?"

"I've been looking for you!" Naruto berated him. "Come on, let's wake Sakura."

"Idiot," Sasuke replied. "She had woken up already a few hours ago. Let her sleep."

"But she's sleeping for almost a week!" Naruto complained. "Come on, let's go to her room. Stop whining."

Due to Naruto's insistence, Sasuje went with him although he was contented to just sit outside her room. The noise inside the room instantly died upon his arrival. Kakashi, Ino, Hinata and Shikamaru were present with Sakura's parents. Fruits, balloons, flowers and get-well-soon cards filled the room. Sakura's mother gave him an annoyed look but thankfully remained closed-lip about his presence with them.

"How's your eye?" Kakashi asked.

"Good."

"Have you been using your Sharingan?"

"No."

"Look!" Naruto's loud voice interrupted their conversation. "Sakura just woke up!"

All attention focused on Sakura who was stirring up. There was a slight crease on her forehead as if she was irritated at the noise made by the people around her. Then, slowly, she opened her eyes and scanned the people around her.

"SAKURA-CHAN!"

"Forehead!"

"_Musume_! "

Cries of delight erupted all around and they swarmed over her like bees to honey. Her eyes widened at them obviously surprised and overwhelmed. Sasuke remained standing on the corner, watching the scene with a small smile tugging on the corner of his mouth.

"How are you, my dear?" Her mother asked tearfully.

"Are you hungry?" Naruto asked.

"Such a strong girl," chuckled Kakashi.

"Our fight is not yet over, Forehead!"

They kept talking and asking Sakura all at the same time, giving her no chance to speak. She just nodded, shook her head or smiled.

"Water," she croaked out hoarsely.

All at once, water was offered to her. After drinking, she started to talk.

"Thanks," she said after drinking. "That was refreshing."

She looked at the people surrounding her and beamed at them. "You're all here!"

"Of course, Sakura-chan!"

"For you, my dear," Sakura's father said softly.

"Do you know why you're at the hospital?" Kakashi asked.

Sakura thought for a moment as if trying to recall what happened. "The last thing I remembered was I fell to the water with that Mist-nin. After that, nothing."

"Naruto arrived and he and Sasuke searched for you. You were barely alive." Kakashi supplied. "In fact, you were comatosed for almost a week. But now you're finally awake."

"A week?" Sakura can't seem to believe it. "Well, it's a miracle that I'm alive. Tell me the whole story later. By the way, where's my baby?"

She looked around the room as if expecting to see a crib where her newborn child would be placed. A deafening silence descended upon the room and everyone suddenly avoided her gaze, pretending to be interested on something else to do.

Sakura looked around and waited for an answer. "_Okaa-san_, where's my _akachan?"_

Startled, Mrs. Haruno looked to her husband for a silent plea of help.

"_Okaa-san?"_

In a false, cheery voice, Mrs. Haruno attempted to divert the subject. "Honey, why don't you eat first? I brought your favourite foods – "

"No," Sakura said firmly. Her green eyes suddenly turned suspicious at this abrupt change in subject. She knew her mother when she's nervous or lying about something. She looked around her and found everyone's eyes downcast as if avoiding her gaze.

Unfortunately, Sakura caught Sasuke looking at her from the corner. Sasuke held his breath. This is what he's dreading.

"Sasuke," Sakura called out softly. All eyes turned to him. "Where's our baby?"

* * *

A/N: Thank you for reading! I know this chap is sad.

Two more chapters and I'm done!

**Please read and review!**


	16. Chapter 16

Author's Note: Hi, guys I'm back! Heres the next chapter and I hope you'll like it.

* * *

**Chapter 16**

"Where's my baby?"

It was the question Sasuke had been to dreading to hear once she had finally awakened from her comatose state. He knew that it was inevitable. He just wished or rather hoped that it would not be him who would break to her the bitter news. It should be someone like Tsunade or one of those doctors who gives unpleasant news in a straightforward, detached manner.

Looking at her fragile condition, Sasuke pondered if it would be best to lie to her. He immediately erased the thought away. Sooner or later, she would learn the truth. The truth hurts but it would always be better than a lie.

"Sasuke?" Sakura called out his attention impatiently.

_Go on. Just tell her._

Frantically, he searched on his brain for the right words so he could at least minimize the impact of the truth. Yet, as he searched his mind, he knew that no matter how much sugar coating he tried, the truth would always be a bitter one to swallow.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, looking down on his feet. He can't meet her eyes yet. Green eyes that would be filled with sorrow and despair.

A heartbreaking scream filled the room as Sakura suddenly leapt from the bed. She would have fallen on the floor if not for Naruto's reflexes.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto gasped in alarm as he caught her on the waist. "You're still weak, don't force yourself."

Dry, hoarse sobs emitted from Sakura as she struggled futilely from Naruto's grasp. She grabbed his shirt and willed him to look into her.

"Naruto-kun, tell me it's not true... please..."

Blue eyes met her green ones and in a sorrowful tone, Naruto shook his head sadly. "I'm so sorry, Sakura-chan but your child is dead. You lived but your child did not survive."

Sakura's shoulders slumped as the truth slowly sunk in. She removed her hands from Naruto and gave him a little push.

"Please leave me alone," she said quietly.

Sakura's mother stepped forward. "Darling, I know it's hard-"

"Get out! Leave me alone!" Then, her eyes unfocused and she slumped to the bed unconscious.

oOo

To say that the changes on Sakura's behaviour on the next days as drastic would be an understatement because after learning the truth, she cried for a whole day and night until her eyes couldn't produce anymore tears and her throat had gone parched. She was given sedatives and anti-anxiety medications but to no avail. When exhaustion finally took place, she fell into a long sleep.

Then, when she woke up the following day she became worse. Sakura didn't cry anymore. She just stopped talking to anyone and shut herself completely. She ate little and spent most her time staring into space thinking heaven-knows-what.

This frightened the people around her and they kept a close watch over her in case she attempts to hurt herself.

Sasuke stifled a yawn as he kept his focus on the person sitting on the bed and staring into the ceiling for the past nine hours. Occasionally, she would get up and use the bathroom. They had removed every single thing that she might possibly used to hurt herself. No mirror, pens or chopsticks.

Sighing inwardly, he got up and made his way towards her and sat on the foot of the bed. Sakura did not even budge or show any attention that he was near her. She was still staring at the ceiling as if seeing something fascinating that only she can see.

Sasuke took her hands and called out her name. There was no reaction of course. How foolish of him. It had been the same on the past few days when he tried to talking to her. She must have hated him so much. He would have preferred if she had cried, shouted or hurt him physically instead of the blank, dead-like expression on her face. Her beautiful green eyes which used to shine with stubbornness and compassion were now lifeless and sunken.

Simply put, she looked...lost.

"If only I could take away your pain, I would." He took her thin, pale hands and brought it to his lips. He was no stranger to pain in all its aspects: physical, emotional or mental. He had been used to it that he had conditioned himself to be numb. From the death of his family, the betrayal of his own village up to his failure to save their supposed to be first born, he thought that he was already numb but why was it that he felt like he was slowly dying on the inside?

Maybe it was because seeing Sakura broken had opened floodgates of emotions inside him. It was his fault. The marriage farce had not only brought shame and sadness on her but grief as well. He wondered what a different kind of life Sakura would have if she had not married him.

He kissed her hand. "Please forgive me for everything I have done to you. If not for me, you would not be like this. You deserve someone better. Someone without a dark past, someone who's responsible and would take care of you. "

He traced her face lightly with his fingers, memorizing her features so that even though his eyes are closed, he could still see her. "I'm going to let you go."

He planted a kiss on her forehead which caused Sakura to involuntary stiffen for a few seconds.

Sighing tiredly, Sasuke made his way towards the door. His shift is almost up. Shikamaru and Ino were the next ones to watch over her. He just needed a few seconds outside the room to clear his head. Surely, she would not do anything to hurt herself in that few seconds. Besides, he would keep the door ajar so that he could see her movements.

His hand was already on the doorknob when he heard a dry whisper.

"Please stay."

He stopped on his tracks and turned around. Sakura was still on the same position he had left her a while ago. Did he just imagine hearing it?

"Sakura," he went back to her side. "Did you... ask me to stay?"

Gods, he felt foolish for asking. It must be his desperate mind.

"Yes." A faint answer escaped from her lips. She blinked and turned her pained green eyes to him, pleading him to stay.

Before he knew it, Sasuke pulled her into an embrace.

"_Finally_, _she's _awake", he thought.

"It's my fault," said Sakura sadly.

Sasuke pulled away from her. "What are you talking about?"

"It's my fault the baby died," she said, her voice threatening to break. "He was inside me. I was not able to save him."

"Listen," Sasuke gently held her shoulders. "Don't blame yourself. It was my fault. It was my burden to carry, not yours."

"It was my entire fault from the beginning," Sasuke began. "I asked you to marry me for my own selfish plan of reviving the Uchiha clan. I used you. Every day, I took you for granted. I've tried to manipulate your life threatening to remove one of the few things that makes you happy. And worst of all, I failed you as a husband and a father to our child."

Sakura closed her eyes as she tried to absorb his confession but she did not say anything. After a few moments of silence, she spoke in a wistful voice. "Did you know what I'm planning to name our first-born?"

Sasuke shook his head.

There was sadness and regret on Sakura's features when she answered. "I'm planning to name him after your late brother, Itachi since it was a boy. If it was a girl, I would have named him after your mother. I know how much you respect your brither Itachi despite everything that happened between the two of you in the past. I have long wanted to ask your opinion about it since Naruto and I came up with the idea. "

"I...I didn't know," said Sasuke lost in the rush of emotions going inside him.

Sakura nodded sadly. "I didn't even had the chance to see him or hold him. Tell me, what does he look like?"

Sasuke closed his eyes, the guilt overflowing inside him as he remembered the dead infant on his arms before it was placed inside the casket. "He had dark hair but he had your...eyes. Your green eyes."

Once he opened his eyes, he saw that Sakura was already crying silently. He pulled her to him and enveloped her within his arms. He stroked her dry, limp hair, trying to ease some of the pain she was feeling.

"I hope you'll find it in your heart someday to forgive me. I'm not good for you. I'm giving you back your freedom." He remembered the divorce papers they had signed. It would be best for them to part ways especially for her. Soon, she would be able to forget him and start a new life with another man.

He would have to leave Konoha soon as everything is settled. Seeing her constantly would only make it hard for him to move on. It would be doubly difficult to see her in the arms of another man.

Sakura buried her face further into the crook of his neck. "I already lost our child. I don't want to lose you too."

"What do you mean?" Sasuke lifted her chin and made her look to him. She filed for divorce and it was his fault that their child died, surely she despised him? What does she mean that she don't want to lose him?

Fear and hope bubbled inside him as she awaited her answer.

"I still want to be with you because I love you."

Sasuke was speechless as he searched her face for any signs of confusion brought on by the medicines given to her. Suddenly, Sakura disentangled herself from him and looked away, embarrassed.

"I-I'm sorry for being too clingy. I understand if you want to separate –"

He cut off her words with his mouth. Gently, he laid her down to the bed as he kissed every part of her face: her eyelids, forehead, nose, cheeks, ears and jaw. Thankfully, Sakura responded by linking her hands behind his nape, pulling his head downwards to meet hers. The hunger overtook them as they kissed each other. He kissed her tears and murmured words of comfort and endearment between kisses. Her lips felt dry and chapped nevertheless, it was the sweetest kiss they had ever shared.

It was a kiss full of longing, heartache, forgiveness and most of all, hope. Hope to start again and repair what's broken.

"I will stay with you forever." And in that moment, Sasuke was certain.

He loves her.

* * *

a/N: Thank you for reading! The story pretty much ends here. But there would be an epilogue as some sort that I'll be posting in a few days.


	17. Epilogue

This is the epilogue. Hope you like it guys!

* * *

**Epilogue**

Soft cries and hushed voices echoed around the room on a beautiful sunny morning. Lounging on a plush couch beside the bed, Sasuke watched the scene before him with a small smile tugging on the corner of his lips.

He imprinted the scene before him on his mind, a picture he would remember and cherished forever.

Propped up on the bed, Sakura adjusted the little bundle on her arms as she fed it. She was exhausted from almost eight hours of labor from the previous night but there was a happy glow in her eyes as soon as she saw the child. Her green eyes shone with radiance and warmth which he had not seen for a long time.

"Beautiful, isn't she?" She whispered to him.

Sasuke smiled and nodded, his mind travelling back three years ago. The marriage deal, the fall-out of their marriage, the abduction and the death of their first-born; all of which they were able to surpass somehow. They started all over again and helped heal each other's wounds. They still have their differences which they vowed to work out. Like any other couple, they have frequent fights which they resolved through open communication.

It took them three to four years to have another child. It could be because of the emotional trauma and fear on Sakura's part or something to do with her body when she went into coma. Sakura had been depressed about it, thinking that she was barren although no medical evidence suggested it. Perhaps, it was not yet time for them to have another one. He remembered that night when Sakura asked what he would do if she's barren.

_It was already past midnight and Sasuke and his team had just arrived from a month-long mission. They were able to finish their task smoothly and got back to Konoha two days earlier than expected of them._

_Quietly moving from rooftop to rooftop, Sasuke dropped by to the window of their bedroom and was surprised to see Sakura sitting on the window sill, staring into the night sky. There were no need for words as she came to him and pulled him for a short kiss and hug. She smiled at him but he noticed that her smile did not quite reach her eyes._

"_What's wrong?"_

"_Nothing." She shook her head and plastered a wider smile. Then, she pulled him towards their futon and began undressing him slowly while kissing him fervently._

_Perhaps she missed him badly, he thought with amusement. Not that he was complaining of course. He missed her too that's why he secretly pushed his team to cut their travel time by minimizing their breaks and stops._

_As they lay naked underneath the sheets afterwards, Sasuke noticed that Sakura still seemed deep in thought and he knew for a fact that there was really something bothering her. He already had inkling on what it might be about but he wants to hear it from her._

_He took her chin and made her look at him. "Tell me."_

_She exhaled slowly. "What if I'm barren already?"_

_It was that topic again. She had been deeply bothered about the fact that she was unable to conceive a child for the past four years since the death of their first-born and her near-death experience. They had consulted a specialist already and had undergone several tests all of which yielded normal results. He was quite bothered too but he did not dare speak it for he did not want to add to her frustration. He just thought that perhaps it was not yet time for them to have one._

"_Don't say that," he countered her fears. "Maybe in time-"_

"_It's been four years already, Sasuke!" Sakura cried in frustration "And we're both young and healthy individuals. Something is definitely wrong with me..."_

"_What if I'm barren already?" Her voice suddenly turned emotionless. "What would you do?"_

_Sasuke knew that Sakura was referring on his dreams of reviving the Uchiha clan by at least having an heir to carry the bloodline. If she can't even give him a child, what would happen to the Uchiha bloodline? He was the last surviving Uchiha and he did not want for it to end with his death._

_Sakura kept her eyes fixated to the ceiling, thankful for her position as she can force back the tears threatening to form on her eyes. Would Sasuke still keep her as his wife for the Uchiha's namesake and take mistresses to give him heirs? Or worse, would he lose his feelings for her and leave her seeing as she is of no use to him anymore?_

_Gods, she can turn a blind eye should Sasuke decided to take mistresses as long as there would be no feelings involved between them. But it would break her heart if he leaves her for another one._

_Sasuke made Sakura turn to face him and he saw the fear and vulnerability reflected deep within her green eyes. He exhaled before finally speaking to her._

"_Whether we have a child or not, I would stay by your side." If she can't give him a child anymore, then so be it. Perhaps, it would be the gods' punishment to him and to his clan's atrocities in the past. Sakura had accepted him in his worst and this time, the least he can do to repay her is to share her pain._

"Would you like to hold her?" Sakura asked, jolting him out of his reverie.

"What?" Sasuke blinked at her question. She was already in front of him, posed to hand him their newborn child. His eyes widened a bit and he shook his head. "Not yet."

"Why?" Sakura's brows scrunched in puzzlement. "Oh come on, she's your daughter too."

Before he could utter a protest, the infant was already placed on his unwilling arms. Looking at the fragile being on his arms, he felt his throat gone dry and his heartbeats increased in rate and rhythm. The infant looked so small and fragile on his arms. He felt an indescribable urge of protectiveness burst inside him. After all the crimes he had done, the gods still gave him a chance to have a family and start a new life.

Silently, he whispered a prayer of thanks to the heavens above. And in turn, he realized something profound.

It was not his Sharingan ability that he should pride himself with.

It's his family which he hopes would grow sooner.

His wife and especially his child.

His own flesh and blood.

Truly, the pride of an Uchiha.

oOo

* * *

Author's Note: Finally, this is the epilogue. Thank you for the support and waiting of course. I know that it took me such a long time to complete but still you continued to read my story. I'm thinking of writing another story with an alternate sequel and a DIFFERENT ENDING which can still stand alone even if you didn't read this one. However, it's going to be a pretty, short one with maybe just five chapters.

Read and review!

XoXo


End file.
